Star Fox: Legacy
by Frostclaw01
Summary: Fox struggles to come to terms with the fact that his team mates are following their own paths and worries about being left alone. After a rescue mission turns out to be a trap, Fox has to set aside his concerns and focus on working with an old rival and stop a persistent foe from destroying Corneria. While Fox is driven by his father's legacy, Wolf struggles with past regrets.
1. Chapter 1 - Divergent Bodies

LEGACY

A Star Fox Fan Fiction

Written by Frostclaw

Chapter I

Divergent Bodies

" _At some point you have to realize  
that some people can stay in your heart,  
but not in your life." _

He flipped the letter over and over again, sometimes checking the back in hopes that there might be more to the message. Fox McCloud, leader and Captain of the elite mercenary Star Fox squadron, sat quietly in his quarters aboard the Great Fox – the squadron's mobile headquarters and transport vessel. Their original headquarters had been destroyed during the invasion of the Aparoid home world and the new vessel has served the team since. In many ways, the new ship paled in comparison to the old and its larger size had only made Fox feel more alone as members of his crew forged new plans for their lives and left for new opportunities. He was losing them one by one.

From the doorway, General Peppy Hare and Falco Lombardi stood watching. Peppy had been a friend to Fox's late father and a mentor to Fox. He had long since retired from Star Fox team and had instead taken up role as a General for the Cornerian Army. He was the first of the Star Fox team to retire. With the Great Fox currently flying so close to the capital city he took the opportunity to pay a visit - a visit that was further incentivized when he had heard from Falco that their mutual friend was feeling down.

Falco was the team's hotshot ace pilot and Fox's oldest friend. He was also his closest equal on the team but where he lead Fox in reflexes he lagged in temperament and vision. They each had come to admire and learn from each other over the years but like Peppy, Falco had also been debating other pursuits. Falco leaned up against the door frame, his arms crossed. He motioned towards Fox and whispered quietly to Peppy.

"He's been like this for weeks." said Falco, "ever since Krystal left. He hardly eats. Hardly sleeps. He just works round the clock. When he's not in the simulator or working on his Arwing, he's pouring over diagnostics or reading that damned goodbye letter. I was hoping may be you had some ideas on how we can snap him out of it."

Krystal had been a friend and on-again, off-again member of Star Fox. She and Fox had gotten along well and shared a brief romance. Even though they had long discontinued their relationship, Fox still had feelings for her as both friend and perhaps more. Her recent departure was fairly sudden and her absence had been particularly difficult for Fox to adjust to.

Peppy nodded at Falco. He figured Fox's problems were likely straightforward. "Ah, kid's just sufferin' through some heartbreak. He'll get over it in time. Just need to find somethin' ta keep his mind offa things. It's been quiet on Corneria. You boys should consider poppin' down for a vacation."

"Tried that." replied Falco, "He just spends his time with his muzzle in a tablet reviewing old mission logs. He wasn't this bad last time he and Krystal split. I think there's more to it. Things have been slow. No jobs of late and frankly I've been entertaining the option of rejoining my old crew. You've retired. Slippy is engaged now. I think Fox is worried that he's losing us. Maybe we just need to get his mind off of things. Have you heard of any interesting contracts we might be able to take on?"

"Nah," said Peppy, "things have been slow. Army's got a glut of troops that need trainin' and practice so there's little need to hire Star Fox for mercenary work." noted Peppy quite formally.

"So just the usual milk runs you're having us do for you? The General's delivery service." noted Falco with a sigh. Falco did appreciate the work. The work wasn't difficult and it was kind of Peppy to find them opportunities. After getting involved in so many messy battles and wars it was easy to appreciate a little quiet.

"I do what I can to help you boys pay the bills, Falco, but the fact is everyone's got a lot of free time of late. There's nothing extra we can't cover that would warrant contracting outside the army." said Peppy.

Peppy had always done what he could to look out for the team. He had helped Fox forge the team originally and had acted as a mentor for the entire group. His age gave him insight they lacked. They had all grown more wise and mature over the years and Peppy felt the need for him had diminished. Still, helping them find work was the least he could do.

"I know and I don't mean to be pushy." replied Falco, "Just figured maybe some action could get him out of this funk he's gotten himself into."

Peppy waved to dismiss Falco as he walked towards Fox, "Let me chat with him."

He quietly approached Fox who was too distracted to notice. Fox had kept re-reading the letter. As Peppy got closer he noticed Fox's appearance was somewhat disheveled and he was dressed more casually than usual. Fox had always prided himself on looking professional and seeing him looking so laid back was a worrisome change. He continued to rock in his chair for a bit and set the note down. He then stared at it as it rested on his desk.

Peppy coughed to alert Fox to his presence. "Hey, sonny." said Peppy.

"Peppy! What are you doing here?" asked Fox. He flicked the letter aside before turning around in his chair to face his old teammate. He forced a grin. Fox was genuinely happy to see Peppy but other things had been on his mind.

"Look, I heard you've been a bit under the weather lately..." asked Peppy with concern.

Fox glared past his old mentor at Falco who was still eavesdropping at the room's entrance. "I see..." murmured Fox. He was a little annoyed that Falco had likely called Peppy to check in on him. Falco simply shrugged and walked down the hall.

"Your friends are worried and thought I might be able to help snap ya out of it." Peppy continued.

"Look," muttered Fox, forcing a smile, "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Ship's running great, delivery jobs have been paying the bills."

Peppy pulled over a chair and sat facing Fox. Age had started to cause his joints to ache and it took him some adjustment to find a comfortable position in the chair. Fox noticed how old his former mentor had gotten especially since taking over the role of General. Peppy had been only slightly younger than Fox' father and had flown with him for years before he and Fox had even met. Since his father's death, Peppy had become the closest thing he had to a father figure. Still, Fox was now his own man and though himself beyond the need for a mentor. He wasn't keen on having Peppy lecture him.

"It's about Krystal isn't it?" asked Peppy directly. "Feeling a bit heartbroken?"

Fox straightened up indignantly. "No! I mean... she and I hadn't dated in a while! We've moved on..."

"So you're saying it's not her?" asked Peppy, wiping his glasses.

Fox paused.

"So it is her?" Peppy continued.

"Well, no... sort of. I don't know." sighed Fox, shrinking into his seat. He had many doubts and concerns of late, and he conceded that maybe venting them might do some good. "Everything just seems to be falling apart. You're a general now. Krystal left to lead her own life. Falco's been wanting to take on a leadership role – maybe rejoin the Hot Rodders with his old friend Katt. Slippy's engaged." Fox looked at the door to see if Falco was still nearby and then reclined back into his seat. "I don't know how much longer Star Fox will be around. It can't just be ROB and I. Not like the team is needed much anyway these days – what with everything being so quiet – but I don't want to stop flying."

"It wouldn't be the first time Star Fox took a break." noted Peppy.

Fox looked at Peppy as if he had suggested something truly blasphemous. Star Fox was created by Fox' father and Fox had no intention of setting his father's legacy aside. Peppy noticed Fox's reaction and thought for a moment.

"Maybe you can find some new members for the team. Maybe you can take a visit to Corneria for a bit and stop by the Academy. You never know, you may find some potential recruits."

Fox looked away in thought. "Maybe… Is it wrong that I miss when we used to tangle with Star Wolf? It was nice to have the chance to really put our skills to the test. It was all of us working together as a team. Everything's just so quiet now. A few pirates scuffles. A few delivery runs. Everyone seems to be moving on from the old days."

It had been a long time since Star Fox had a run in with their rivals. They had crossed paths with Star Wolf on a number of occasions and during most of them they were on opposite sites of the conflict. Still, Star Wolf had most recently helped them fight against a common foe and they had disappeared ever since.

Just then Fox's ears perked up to the sound of static from the intercom.

"Peppy! Fox!" came Falco's voice over the intercom. "You two should head up here. There's something you need to see."

Fox rushed from his seat as Peppy more carefully propped himself up and rubbed his back. There was a momentary look of excitement on Fox's face.

 _This might get the kid's mind off of things_ , thought Peppy. _Hopefully it's nothing serious_.

#

By the time Peppy reached the bridge Fox had already joined up with Falco as well as Slippy, the ship's engineer and ROB, the robotic operator of the ship. The assembled team members were staring intently at various screens and scanners. The bridge of the Great Fox was not the bridge Peppy remembered. It was entirely different. It was not as elegant as the original Great Fox but instead felt more simplistic and practical. While built from a decommissioned ship, the bridge was still bright and clean. The team had done a good job keeping up with maintenance. Peppy took a few steps forward and stared out from the bridge. A large cargo vessel could be seen off in the distance listing to one side with a small trail of debris floating alongside it.

"A supply ship..." said Peppy.

This by itself was nothing unusual. Cargo ships of all kinds were common place close to Corneria. A damaged supply ship, however, merited attention.

"Were getting a distress signal." noted Slippy, "Automated. Seems the ship has received damage to their propulsion system and life support."

"Life signs?" asked Fox as he eagerly hopped into the command chair.

"Can't tell. Radiation from the engine is causing interference." noted Slippy, "Hull's intact though. Power's fluctuating."

"Have you tried contacting them?" asked Peppy, trying not to overstep Fox.

Slippy nodded. "No answer."

"I wonder if life support has given out entirely?" asked Peppy.

"The front end of that ship looks odd." Falco pointed out. "There's some unusual protrusions… weapons of some kind?"

Slippy leaned in for a closer look. "No. Some of these larger ships use specialized deflector arrays if they travel near meteor belts. Especially mining ships. That must be what those are used for."

Fox got up from the command chair. He zipped up his jacket and turned to exit the bridge. He could barely contain his excitement. "I'll go check it out. Keep the comm link open and an eye on the monitor and let me know if you see anything unusual. Peppy, let Corneria know of the situation. Falco, get the magnetic tethers ready in case they need a tow."

The team nodded. Fox paused just as he was about to exit the bridge.

"If we look into this, the Cornerian Army will pick up the tab, right?" he grinned, looking at Peppy.

The General nodded. "Always looking for the paycheck at the end of the day," said Peppy with a chuckle, "yes, of course! Consider this a request of the Cornerian Army. We'll pay the regular rates for contracted assistance in a rescue operation."

For that moment at least Fox was his normal, commanding self. It was reassuring.

#

"Say it!" said Wolf as he held his attacker's arm tightly behind his back. A pop of a joint could be heard. Wolf's opponent was a large, rough looking ape with more muscles than brains and a face only a mother could love. That face was now bleeding profusely from the beating Wolf had given him.

"You're still the Lord of the Pirates!" said the ape.

"That's right." said Wolf, releasing the ape's arm. The bar gave out a cheer. If nothing else, he had put on a good show. Sure, Wolf hadn't exactly committed any piracy in a good long time but he still had a reputation to maintain. He looked around the bar at the gathering of mercenaries, pirates and thugs that he had come to think of as family. A dysfunctional and sometimes murderous family.

"Here's to me and to the Sargasso Space Bar!" he cheered, raising a mug of beer he grabbed off of a nearby table.

A waitress walked up to Wolf carrying a serving tray full of used mugs and glasses. Her good looks defied her age but as she wove a path between the patrons her body language suggested she was well at home among bandits. She was a thin cat with rust colored fur and was dressed in snug, flattering pants and an equally snug top. She was an old friend of Wolf's from his childhood. Like him, Ruby had run through a string of bad luck and found herself working at the Sargasso bar. She seemed at home there despite her circumstances. As she got close to Wolf, she placed a finger on his mug of beer and pulled it down just as he tried to take a sip. "Wolf, sweety, you're running a bit of a tab tonight." she said with concern.

Wolf shrugged. "Ruby, I need to celebrate! I have a job all lined up and I'm heading out shortly!"

"Hun, lined up is not the same as done and paid. Everyone knows you've fallen on hard times. Drinks need to be paid for."

"Max knows I'm good for it." said Wolf, gesturing at the burly but friendly brown bear behind the counter. Max gave him a friendly smile in return. The guy was built like a tank but he wouldn't hurt a fly. He didn't need to. He was liked by nearly everyone on Sargasso. Messing with Max meant making enemies of everyone else on the station. Wolf didn't have that same luxury.

"The only person with a softer heart than Max seems to be you of late," she said, lowering her finger and pushing it into Wolf's chest.

Wolf frowned. "I haven't gone soft."

"When was the last time you raided a supply transport?" asked Ruby, "When was the last time you took on something with real risk?"

Wolf looked away.

"Look, hon, I know you've had that bounty lifted and you know what? Good for you for trying to go straight," she said, "but ya gotta know the legit jobs don't always pay the bills."

She looked around the bar. "And sweety, some of these boys smell blood in the water. You gave yourself the title of Lord of Pirates and for some damn fool reason they bought it. But now it hangs like a target around your neck. If they think you've gone soft, they're gonna start gunning for your made-up title more frequently than ever."

"I'd like to see them try to take it from me." laughed Wolf.

Ruby looked at him and sighed. "Don't go lookin' for trouble when you needn't. I worry about you, hun. You're like the big brother I never had... or wanted really. I'd miss you somethin' fierce if you got yourself killed."

Wolf blushed. He had always liked Ruby. He had watched out for her since his youth and had always thought of her like a younger sibling. She was one of the few people on Sargasso that could tell Wolf what to do and have him listen. Still, he wasn't concerned for his own safety.

Ruby poked him again, this time more sharply. Wolf rubbed his chest. "This job had better be good," she said.

"Some Admiral guy has some work he needs done. Promised a good payout too." said Wolf with confidence. "Pure mercenary work. Nothing illegal. Low risk, good rewards. You can put your mind at ease - I ain't dying anytime soon."

"Just be careful," said Ruby, as she ran her hand across Wolf's chest, "you don't have Star Wolf to back you up anymore."

Wolf grabbed his jacket and sat his drink down. "You don't have to worry about me. Tell Max I'll be back to pay my tab in full."

He put on his coat and headed towards the bars' exit. He looked back at the other patrons. He had friends among them but wondered how many would gladly drive a knife in his back the moment they had the chance. He couldn't think of anyone he would trust to have his back. Star Wolf had long since parted ways. Panther left to pursue love and Leon had developed a taste for truly dirty work. Wolf found himself alone.

He waved one last time at Ruby and set out to meet his contact. He was broke and short on good will. He needed the job desperately and if this admiral was just jerking him around, Wolf would make sure he paid in more ways than one.

#

Fox left the Great Fox aboard his Arwing starfighter to investigate the damaged ship. As his Arwing glided closer he examined the vessel for any clues. The ship looked relatively new and in good shape with the exception of a chunk of the aft marred by what looked to be a small explosion. There were no discernible markings and nothing otherwise unusual about it. It was a cargo vessel of pretty standard and common design. Fox took a closer fly by of the damage. It appeared like a localized internal explosion and not one caused by an external source.

"What do you think caused this, Slippy?" Fox asked over the radio as he cut the engines on his Arwing and drifted towards an access hatch.

"Could be fuel or coolant systems. Fox, we've looked the ship up in the Cornerian spacecraft database. It's not registered."

"Not registered?" asked Fox, securing the helmet of his spacesuit as he prepared to leave his Arwing.

"It's not from Corneria at least." clarified Slippy. "No clear markings to indicate where it is from."

"Well, if they need help, we still have to do what we can. It's what we do." answered Fox with resolve.

Fox exited the cockpit of his starfighter and launched himself towards the access hatch of the cargo vessel. With a few cranks of the manual override, he made his way past the external doors of the airlock. There was a hiss of air as the external doors shut again and oxygen and pressure were restored.

Fox tried to make contact with the Great Fox as he opened the internal door of the airlock. "Slippy, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Yeah. The interference from the radiation doesn't seem to be blocking our communication any." said Slippy.

"There's oxygen." Fox noted while checking his wrist scanner, "Breathable."

He removed his helmet and pulled out his flashlight. He scanned the hallway for signs of the crew while his ears flicked wildly, listening for anything unusual. "No signs of crew. Everything's quiet. I'm going to head towards the bridge."

He walked down the hallways hearing only the gentle hum of the ship and the sound of his footsteps on the metal floor. The ship seemed empty. There was little light and no signs of life.

#

Back on the Great Fox, Peppy was tapping his foot nervously.

"Somethin' don't sit right." he said.

Peppy had been a mercenary for far longer than the rest of the crew and his instincts were seldom wrong.

"What would make you think that?" asked Falco, "I mean, we're pretty close to Corneria for anyone to try something funny."

"Slippy, run a thermal scan on that ship." asked Peppy. Something was nagging him, but he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Uh, alright." Slippy replied. He hammered away at the keyboard and within moments a large thermal image of the ship was displayed in front of them.

"Engines are still hot. She couldn't have been here long." Peppy noted.

"At least they didn't have to wait long for help." said Falco.

"If that failure was recent, someone should have responded to our comm signal. If there's oxygen and the life support system is still somewhat functional, then why haven't we heard anythin' from them at all?" Peppy said with a frowned.

"You sure you're not just being paranoid?" asked Falco.

Peppy wasn't sure. Maybe his old age was just making him too cautious. Maybe battles and wars had him seeing danger at every turn.

"If they did just suffer engine failure... then there shouldn't be this much radiation interference." noted Slippy. "It would take even a large core leak a few hours to bleed out that much radiation. If they had been here long, someone else would have come across them first."

"Would the radiation have affected the crew?" asked Peppy.

"Nah, core radiation is pretty harmless to organic matter. You'd have to be exposed to it for a really, really long time." said Slippy. "But for this much radiation to be present in such a short time after their engines stopped – it would have to have been pumped out deliberately."

The three of them looked at each other in worried agreement. Peppy slammed his hand down on the console and opened a channel to Fox's communicator. "Fox, we think it might be a trap. Falco and I will be right there to back you up."

"I'm already on the bridge." replied Fox. "If it's a trap, I'll know pretty soon."

#

Back on the supply ship, Fox was scanning the bridge. The power was out with the exception of a few dim emergency lights and the glow from a few critical screens running on backup power. Bodies of the bridge crew slumped motionless in their seats.

"Hello?" asked Fox nervously. He tapped on his communicator. "They're all unconscious... or..." he grimaced, "worse".

He approached the Captain's chair and swung it around. The body flopped unnaturally then remained motionless. Fox shone his flashlight in the captain's face to get a clearer idea of what might have happened. Instead of a flesh and blood being, what he saw instead was a large doll crafted from fabric, stitches and a wig. The figure in the seat had never been a living person.

"A dummy!" said Fox, alarmed.

"Correct." he heard from a monotonous voice behind him. Before Fox could turn he heard a blast. Electricity ran through his back, numbing every part of his body. He fell to the floor as every muscle contracted painfully. As his eyesight blurred, he saw a lone figure approach him. It moved in a stiff, purposeful manner.

Fox began to slip into unconsciousness and as he did he heard his assailant speak in a synthetic voice.

"Target incapacitated."

On the Great Fox, Peppy was starting to panic. "It's been five minutes with no response from Fox!"

Slippy frantically fiddled with the communication system, checking to ensure everything had been working fine. "The comm is working fine and I'm still reading his life signs. But – Oh! Oh!" Slippy exclaimed, pointing excitedly towards the cargo ship.

The three members of the Star Fox squadron gasped as the engines on the vessel fired up. The ship appeared to still be functional.

"So they _were_ playing possum!" exclaimed Peppy. The distress signal had to be a decoy and now that Fox wasn't responding to their communications Peppy could only fear the worst. "Slippy, fire up the engines, we're gonna follow that thing!" he commanded. "Falco, ready the torpedos! If we have to disable that ship we will!"

"On it!" they both exclaimed.

Peppy glanced back at the freighter. Six small antenna extended out to the front of the ship and began to arc with electricity.

"What in tarnation is that?" asked Peppy.

"Some kinda portable jump gate?" wondered Slippy, cocking his head sideways and squinting.

"I thought you said it was a deflector array?" asked Falco with annoyance.

"I'm not always right!" whined Slippy. He was disappointed that he hadn't thought to investigate the issue further and now the ship might escape as a result.

"Falco! Disable that ship's engines!" cried Peppy.

Just as the Great Fox prepared to hurl a salvo at the cargo ship, their target lurched forward. A glowing anomaly appeared directly in front of it and quickly drew the vessel in before it disappeared in a flash. Fox's Arwing fighter was all that remained as it drifted aimlessly.

"They're gone..." stated Slippy feeling somewhat guilty that he hadn't noticed the warp device soner.

"Where!?" yelled Peppy.

"They could be anywhere... well, not anywhere, but we only have a vague idea of direction. It could take days to narrow down where they could have gone." said Slippy.

"Then let's get on it!" Peppy commanded. Looking back to the view-screen he sighed with worry. "Fox… please be alright."

#


	2. Chapter 2 - A Tradition of Differences

Chapter II

A Tradition of Differences

Fox regained consciousness and his vision slowly returned. He was now seated in the captain's chair of the supply ship. He was securely fastened to the chair with several restraints and no way to break free. The stuffed decoy captain and several other dummy crew members were now strewn about the floor. Fox looked around to see who his captors were. Power had been restored to the bridge and all of the consoles appeared to be in working order. Nearby stood three figures. They were tall and almost skeletal, but Fox's vision was left blurry from the stun blast and he couldn't make out much beyond their silhouette.

"Who are you?" Fox questioned angrily.

The three figures began emitting a series of electronic chirps before turning to face Fox. It became apparent that each of them was a mechanical, bipedal being.

"Robots?" muttered Fox. Robots weren't terribly unusual. The Great Fox had had ROB as a robotic aid on board the ship but ROB was nowhere as advanced as these machines appeared to be.

"We are servants of the Admiral." one of the robots stated.

"Alright," replied Fox, squinting, "Sounds like someone important."

Fox noticed in the distance a large blue-green planet. It looked similar to his home planet of Corneria. White swirls of clouds could be seen in the skies.

"What planet is that?" asked Fox, quizzically.

"We are approaching the planet of Venom – " replied one of his robotic captors.

"Venom!?" exclaimed Fox in disbelief. Fox had known that Venom had been transformed by a large scale terraforming operation under the supervision of his old friend Dash Bowman but he had not seen the planet since well before that time. His last visit to Venom had been during a time of conflict and war. It was not a pleasant experience.

"– first planet of the Lylat System." continued the robot without pause.

"But how? How did we get to Venom so quickly?" asked Fox.

"Advanced warp. Space-to-space matter transmission." replied one of the machines.

"Alright." replied Fox, tilting his head, "I'll pretend that makes sense."

As they approached the planet, a dark shadow crested it. Fox squinted to try to make out what the object was. A space station? A ship? Some debris? His vision was still too blurry to make it out. As they approached Venom, the shape continued to get larger and larger and its details clearer. At first, Fox assumed it was a small space station but as his vision returned he learned otherwise. It was a ship – a battleship – only slightly smaller than a Cornerian flag ship but far more menacing. It bristled with weapons and at its center was a large cylindrical cannon. The ship sat parked in an orbital construction platform adding even more bulk its ominous form.

The cargo ship lurched as it docked with the battleship.

 _Guess I'm going to get a real close look._ Thought Fox.

#

Back on the bridge of the Great Fox, the remaining Star Fox team members were working closely with members of the Cornerian Army to determine the origin of the mysterious cargo ship and to track down Fox's location.

"What do we know, Slippy?" asked Peppy.

"Uh, the propulsion system is entirely different from the plasma engines we see on most advanced ships – including the one the old Great Fox used to have. Whatever that warp gate was, the speeds it reached would make travel between planets seem almost instantaneous. Based on the trajectory of the ship, we've approximated a likely route they may have traveled." noted Slippy, popping up a galactic holo-map.

"Ah geez, that crosses the territory of every known pirate group and crime syndicate in the galaxy." stated Falco with more than a hint of frustration, "We've tangled with a dozen or more of these guys. Any one of them has a motive. It could take forever to figure out which one's behind this if it's any of them at all."

"That's provided the ship didn't change trajectory at some point." stated Slippy. Falco and Peppy looked even more worried.

Peppy rubbed his chin then pointed to a planet outside the range of Slippy's estimated route. "Venom... I'll contact the colony there. They've maintained good relations after the planet was terraformed and they have a great deal of respect for Fox's contributions in acquiring that terraforming device. I'm sure they'll be willin' to help us find him. We'll start searchin' on our end and ask if they'll start on theirs."

Venom had been a peaceful colony for some time and was under the leadership of President Dash Bowman. Many conflicts had taken place there, but Fox and Dash had been friends years before and the planet owed much of its renewed prosperity to the terraforming device that had been retrieved by Star Fox years ago. Hopefully the team could rely on that relationship.

"Maybe we should reach out for some extra help." suggested Falco.

"Who did you have in mind?" asked Peppy.

"Some old friends of ours who would be more than happy to help us find Fox." noted Falco.

Peppy nodded. "We'll take whatever help we can find."

#

Far away from the Great Fox and its troubles, Panther and Krystal sat at a table in one of planet Zoness' finest restaurants. Krystal had put Star Fox behind her and was taking her time finding herself. Her companion, Panther, was a former team mate when she was once part of the Star Wolf mercenary team – Star Fox's rival and near polar opposite. At one time, many considered Star Wolf to be pirates, but Krystal had come to know them and respect them.

Krystal and Panther were enjoying each others' company. The view from their seats overlooked miles of endless ocean. They were each in the process catching up over fine wine and a good meal. Krystal was doing some soul searching. She had enjoyed her time in the pilot's seat but she had decided to take a break. It was only by chance that she had run into Panther and over the past few days the two had rekindled their romance.

"I wasn't sure you'd take me up on my offer for dinner, Panther." noted Krystal, lounging in her chair with a glass of white wine in her hand.

"My love, you know I would drop anything for you." added Panther.

Krystal had always found Panther's constant flirtation to be a little over the top but she had also found a great deal of sincerity in his words. She worked closely with him when she briefly joined Star Wolf as a spy. She had broken his heart when she had sought to return to Star Fox. Even with Panther's affection she had always preferred Star Fox's more noble motives to Star Wolf's less scrupulous ones and had never intended to remain with his team for long. During her time with them, however, she had come to respect and admire Panther. She had even come to be quite fond of him to the point that she had entertained a long term relationship. Their paths were never meant to cross for long but she had always regretted betraying him.

"I know I left you in the cold before and I wanted to find the time to apologize. Having to betray you was a necessity at the time, but I wish it could have been different." said Krystal.

"You had a mission, and I do not fault you for your actions." said Panther with a comforting smile. "I am just happy to see you again. I missed you terribly." The lovestruck look in his eyes could be read as plain as day.

"I missed you too." Krystal said sheepishly. Panther had an accent that Krystal could easily listen to for hours. The longer they talked, the more she remembered how enjoyable time with him had been.

"A toast then!" noted Panther "To renewed friendship and putting our pasts behind us!"

Krystal nodded and the two raised their glasses.

"So, how is Star Fox?" asked Panther. She had yet to inform him that she had left the team permanently.

"It's good," said Krystal "but I just can't see myself following Fox my entire life. It was fun. It was great to help people. The money was decent. But at some point I decided I wanted to settle down and do my own thing."

"And Fox?" said Panther, trying to pry information out of Krystal. He had known she had cared for him and while he would never admit it, he was always envious of their relationship.

"Fox will always be Fox." said Krystal. "I love him for it, but he and I are following two different paths these days. He'll never leave Star Fox. He'll never stop flying. I can't do it forever. Worse, he always feels like he has to protect me. I never felt like a peer to when I was with him. It's part of his nature I think – to look out for others. To protect them. With Star Wolf though – you guys always just treated me as an equal. It was everyone for themselves. You pulled your own weight because no one was going to cover for your mistakes."

"I understand." said Panther, showing support, "You need to be your own person."

"Took me a while to get that through your head though. Just like Fox, you always wanted to protect me." Krystal smiled. "And just what is the former bad boy up to these days?"

"I too am looking for something different." he said, cutting into his dinner and taking a bite, "Star Wolf has disbanded. Wolf wants to stick to… mostly honest work now that he's had the bounty taken off of his head."

Wolf had been the founder of Star Wolf and the leader since its inception. His motives were always changing but when Krystal had first me him he was a scoundrel through and through. Like Panther, she had come to understand him however and after Star Wolf had risked their lives on two separate occasions to stop a galactic threat Krystal had pressed Fox and Peppy to have the bounty on their heads rescinded. Peppy had gone as far as having Wolf exonerated of an old treason charge once he had become a general.

"Really?" exclaimed Krystal at hearing the news that Wolf was trying to do honest work. "I'm surprised. I mean, I'm happy to hear it – but part of me thought he'd always be a rogue."

"I think he has gone soft. A lot of others have thought that way too." said Panther, taking a drink of wine. "He would probably snap your neck if you told him that. Soft is a very relative term for a former pirate. He is still doing mercenary work, but he is being a bit more… selective in the jobs he takes. Piracy is right out." he clarified. He paused for a moment and swirled the wine around in his glass. "From what I understand you were partly responsible in having the bounty removed from our heads. Frankly, I am just as happy dropping out of the game for the time being. Life is a lot easier when every bounty hunter in the galaxy is not looking at you like a paycheck." admitted Panther. "I cannot say the same for Leon. He left to join some underworld connections he met on Sargasso. He did not like the idea of honest work and he and Wolf got into an argument last time we were together. Leon preferred the money to be had in doing the dirtier jobs and the more violent the better. He always was a bit bloodthirsty."

Krystal remembered Leon and Wolf both. She had come to know Wolf O'Donnell to be ruthless and self-serving and more than a little arrogant. But she had found more admirable qualities in him as well. He was charismatic to the point of commanding many pirates to follow him, going so far as to having himself called _Lord_ O'Donnell. He was clever and determined and once you formed a bond with him he could be fairly dependable and even friendly. Leon Powalski on the other hand, Krystal could never quite trust. He was twisted and ruthless in a way that turned her stomach. If there was a single member of Star Wolf she was glad to never see again it was him.

"So what do _you_ do now?" asked Krystal.

"I've applied to be a test pilot at the Corneria Aerospace Center." admitted Panther, sheepishly. "Gives me a chance to show off my skills! We don't tangle with Star Fox these days so how else can I prove myself to be the best pilot in the universe?"

"And you called Wolf the soft one?" Krystal laughed. She was happy to see Panther abandoning his former life as a pirate. She had come to worry about him since she had left Star Wolf and she had hoped he would do something more with is life after the bounty was lifted off of his head. Still, she couldn't imagine Panther not being a fighter pilot.

"Hard to flirt with beautiful ladies when you are always dodging gunfire." Panther joked and winked.

Krystal grinned and the two continued to enjoy their meal and each others' company. The brief peace was broken by Krystal's wrist communicator ringing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Krystal, "I thought I had turned it off this time!"

Panther only gave her a lovestruck grin.

"It's from the Great Fox. I should answer this." she said apologetically. "It's the third time tonight. If it's Fox, I'm going to finish the job Wolf started those years ago and strangle the life out of him myself."

Panther laughed and tipped his glass at her. Krystal got up and turned from the table while answering her communicator. "This is Krystal." she said, trying not to show her irritation.

"Krystal, this is Falco." said Falco.

"Yes, hello Falco." said Krystal, exasperated and somewhat perturbed that her date had been interrupted, "Is this urgent?"

"Listen, Krystal – Fox has been abducted" stated Falco.

"Abducted? What do you mean abducted?" asked Krystal, anxiously.

"He boarded a damaged cargo vessel after we answered a distress call. Turns out it was probably a trap. They took off with him inside and we have little idea of where they could be." said Falco, "I was hoping some of your connections might be able to help."

"Yes, anything you need." said Krystal in near panic.

"We're not sure who grabbed him. We do know the ship that took him was a cargo vessel with some sort of new warp technology. Their trajectory took them through a number sectors known for underworld activity. I'll send you the data we have. Listen, I was hoping you might still be in touch with Star Wolf and some of their shadier connections." said Falco.

"Yeah." said Krystal, looking over to Panther, "You could say that. I'll make some calls then rendezvous with the Great Fox as soon as I can."

"Good. I've contacted my old friend Katt Monroe and the Hot Rodders as well. Someone has to know where he is or at least where we might find the ship that took him." noted Falco.

"Right. I'll find out as much as I can. I'll talk to you again soon." she said, closing her communicator and staring at it for a brief moment, lost in worry.

Panther looked at Krystal anxiously. He saw the distressed look on her face. "Problems?" he asked.

"Fox is missing. The team thinks someone took him. Falco's sending me the data now. They need help finding him and hoped I could use some of my connections." she said, giving Panther a desperate look.

"By connections, you mean Star Wolf and our… more unique circle of friends." Panther clarified. "So much for leaving the past behind us."

Krystal worried that Panther might be offended at the suggestion or worse be jealous that she was heading off to rescue an old flame. Instead Panther folded up his napkin neatly and stood up from the table.

"I guess we should get to work then." he stated.

"You mean, you'll help? I mean, I know Fox isn't exactly a friend of yours..." she sputtered.

"He is a friend of _yours_ , and I care about you… and he is a good pilot. If he is alive, we will find him." stated Panther with bravado.

"Oh, thank you Panther!" Krystal said, hugging him, "My mercenary with a heart of gold. Why did I ever leave you?"

"You had a mission at the time and I was a pirate. There is nothing to keep us apart now." he pointed out plainly, setting down a credit stick on the table to settle their meal. "Now let us get going! We can reach out to Wolf, Leon and some of our contacts at Sargasso Station."

Krystal nodded.

#

Fox stared in wonder at the interior of the battleship as he was escorted down various hallways. There were very few crew on-board and the bulk of them were robots. He caught only a glimpse of two flesh-and-blood technicians and none spoke with him. The entire experience made him nervous. The last he had heard Venom was peaceful and had flourished. They had even signed a formal treaty with Corneria.

"Where are you taking me?" growled Fox.

"The Admiral wishes to meet you." one of his escorts responded in a robotic voice.

Fox fidgeted with his handcuffs as he was escorted into what looked like a large conference room. There was a large table at the center of the room seats on either side and a larger seat at the head of the table. On the table were various bottles of what Fox presumed to be alcoholic drinks along with a pitcher of water, some mugs and a large bowl of colorful fruit. The room was dim and lit primarily by the reflection from the planet below as seen from the large window on one side of the boardroom. The view was breathtaking. Venom had certainly changed over the years.

"You are to be seated." noted one of the escorts, forcibly pushing Fox into one of the seats.

"Ah... alright, alright." scoffed Fox. The strength of his captors was surprising and Fox doubted he could overpower them even if he wasn't handcuffed.

"You may consume food and drink as desired." noted one of the guards.

"Yeah, 'cause I'm sure in the mood to eat after being abducted and handcuffed." said Fox sarcastically.

Fox continued to scan the room, taking note of exits and anything else he might use to escape. From his vantage point, Venom seemed so quiet and peaceful. He wondered if that was all about to change again.

The boardroom door opened with a hiss and two more robots stepped through followed by someone familiar to Fox. Wolf O'Donnell, hands in his pockets, walked in the room with a confident stride. His clothes showed more wear than usual and he was back to wearing a very simple leather eye patch over his bad eye. He looked like he had hit on hard times. Still, he carried himself with the same arrogance that Fox had known all too well. Wolf caught sight of Fox and a wide grin crossed his face. Fox seethed, ears backwards.

"Wolf. You're behind all this?" hissed Fox.

"Well if it isn't Captain Fox McCloud!" snickered Wolf. He had noticed that Fox was far less put together than the last time they had met. "You look like hell."

"You're a little rough around the edges yourself." Fox bit back. "What's this all about anyway?"

"Be seated." interrupted one of the robots, gesturing to Wolf.

Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Not programmed for manners, are we?"

He sauntered over to the table and sat on the seat directly beside Fox. Reaching across the table, he snapped up a piece of fruit and took a large bite. "I can assure you this is none of my doing." he said with a mouth half full. "Honestly didn't expect to see you here. You're looking pretty miserable though – so overall that's a plus."

Fox continued to scowl at Wolf as he polished off the fruit and began uncorking and sniffing at the various drinks on the table. Finding one to his liking, he poured the contents into one of the cups that had been set out. He took a drink and grimaced.

"Ah, that's some good stuff."

Wolf looked over to see Fox still staring at him with annoyance. Despite Wolf's aid on their last two missions, Fox was never quite sure what his motives were and it bothered him a great deal. The fact that Wolf once worked for Andross – the man that had captured, tortured and killed Fox's father – didn't help much either.

"How can you be so casual?" sneered Fox.

"Holy crap, who pissed in your cereal?" joked Wolf, "If you must know, this 'Admiral' guy contacted me. Offered me a job. I figured you must be here for the same reason."

Fox raised his hands, showing his handcuffs.

"Huh. Well, I wouldn't worry just yet. If someone wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Wouldn't be the first time I saw someone offer a job at gunpoint. These bucket heads might be looking to hire us both." noted Wolf reassuringly. "Not that I'm terribly fussed over the idea of working with you, but I'll take the paycheck."

Wolf swirled his drink around in his cup before throwing his head back and taking a shot. "Drink's not bad."

Fox just grimaced and rested face in his palms.

"You're not the least bit curious about what they intend to do with this... warship?" Fox asked indignantly.

"Not my concern – so long as the money's good and the job doesn't land another bounty on my head." Wolf noted.

"Typical." Fox retorted.

"Look, things are a bit tight lately." Wolf replied, pulling out his empty pockets. "Not much mercenary work these days. Guy's gotta find a job somewhere."

"Regardless of who's doing the hiring?" Fox asked.

Wolf raised his shoulders. "I'm trying to be somewhat legit but it's not easy when you've got my kind of reputation."

Wolf poured a drink from a different bottle and took a swig, making a sour face and looking at the remainder of his glass with mild disgust then finished off what was left. He had been giving his future some considerable thought and he had wanted to keep from drawing a bounty again. He was genuinely trying to find honest work but he was known primarily for his criminal endeavors. His bank account was nearing empty and he needed a good score or two if he was going to keep flying.

"You really shouldn't be drinking at a time like this." admonished Fox.

"And you should be pouring yourself one. Loosen up a bit. Life is short!" Wolf said, raising his cup to his rival.

"I was _abducted_ , _handcuffed_ and brought here _against my will_ by a bunch of robots with a _giant_ _warship_!" yelled Fox, his voice quaking.

"All the more reason to drink!" Wolf laughed. He set his cup down and looked at Fox who appeared to be at the end of his rope. "Wow. You are just adorable when you get upset."

Fox clenched his fists. Wolf picked up a pitcher of water and poured a cup full and slid it to Fox. "How's team Star Fox doin' anyway? Still protecting the great planet of Corneria and its people?" he said mockingly. "Can't be too busy these days."

"Fine. We're fine. Everyone's fine." stated Fox.

"Welp, that's certainly better than my old squad." Wolf noted honestly. "Leon's off chasing after better pay while Panther is off chasing tail, hooking up with Krystal again."

Wolf didn't make direct eye contact with Fox, but instead peered over discreetly to catch Fox's reaction. He had heard that Fox and Krystal were once a couple and had hoped to further antagonize him. Fox went visibly numb and slumped into his seat.

"Ah, sorry. I heard you two were a thing once but I honestly thought that was some time ago." Wolf lied, faking concern.

If he weren't handcuffed, Fox was certain he would have hit Wolf right then and there. He pictured himself punching the smug look off of Wolf's face over and over again. The thought helped pick up his mood just slightly, but his fantasizing was interrupted as the door opened again. Another familiar figure walked in the room – Andrew Oikonny, Wolf's former squad-mate and nephew to the late Andross. Andrew stood at the head of the table and looked down at both Wolf and Fox. He was dressed in a fancy, official looking uniform with a gaudy red cloak.

"Andrew?" Fox and Wolf stated in unison.

"You may call me Admiral Oikonny" Andrew stated dramatically. Wolf gave a hearty laugh. Fox did what he could to not roll his eyes. He was in no position to instigate anything. Wolf on the other hand had no such reservations. He seemed insistent on antagonizing everyone he could and Fox was convinced he was already half drunk.

"Ha! You're not taking another shot at following in your uncle's footsteps are ya?" joked Wolf.

Andrew only scowled at him.

"Why did you bring us here? What is this place?" asked Fox.

"You're both my honored guests." noted Andrew nonchalantly. "Please, enjoy the meal and the view. It's quite lovely, isn't it?" he said, turning to the window, "Venom, I mean? This food and drink – products of Venom. Ever since the terraforming, the planet has flourished. President Bowman – "

"Dash?" asked Fox.

"– President _Dash_ Bowman, " continued Andrew, "has been diligent in his attempts to turn Venom into a veritable oasis and to date has succeeded brilliantly. But of course there are those who would want to undo what he's done. Invaders... " he paused, turning to look at Wolf, "Pirates..." he seethed. "We needed to ensure the safety of Venom – for its bright future. This task was entrusted to me and this defense platform – The Overseer – is the result of our combined genius!"

"Does he know you kidnapped me?" asked Fox.

"No, he does not. You are hear because _I_ wanted you here." replied Andrew.

"Still sour that Star Fox defeated Andross?" asked Wolf. He knew Andrew had held Star Fox personally responsible for the death of his uncle Andross. Andrew had flown with Star Wolf but his obsession with avenging his father left him frequently distracted and often unpredictable. Wolf had long since kicked him off of the team.

"Star Fox is responsible for my uncles' murder." noted Andrew, calmly.

"I didn't know we were taking score." replied Fox. Even after all these years, the loss of his own father still pained him. Fox had felt no remorse in ending Andross' life.

"Look Andrew, the kid did the job he was paid to do. There's no need to hold a grudge against him. Besides, he's a good pilot. I can take him under my wing and you can get two mercs for the price of one. I'll even give you a discount!" noted Wolf, wrapping his arm around Fox and giving a sly grin. Fox glanced at him uncomfortably.

"You're mistaken if you think I'm looking to hire you." noted Andrew.

"Wait..." replied Wolf as Fox ducked out from under his arm, "You said you were looking to hire my services. You offered me 5,000 credits up front if I took the job."

"I lied." replied Andrew.

"Then why am I here? Is this because I kicked you off of the team..." growled Wolf.

"Mister O'Donnell, as far as I'm concerned your failures make you nearly as accountable for my uncle's death as our good Captain McCloud. Your dismissal of me only adds to my desire make you suffer."

Andrew's arrogant attitude was pissing Wolf off. He didn't take kindly to being looked down on and he certainly didn't like the idea that someone like Andrew would think to betray him. He reached for his blaster, determined to end Andrew's life for his arrogance, but found his arm seized by one of the robot guards and pulled up painfully behind his back. Despite Wolf's own strength the machine effortlessly slammed his face into the table.

"Manners, Mister O'Donnell." noted Andrew. "Or is it still Lord O'Donnell? Wasn't that the childish title you gave yourself when you lead that outpost of pirate scum?"

Just then, Wolf's communicator started to buzz. Someone was trying to contact him. A second nearby robot quickly pulled the device from his wrist and crushed it.

"You won't be needing that anymore." said Andrew with a grin.

"So what's the deal. Torture? Execution?" groaned Wolf, his nose now bleeding from the hit to the table.

"You'll find out in time." stated Andrew, pouring himself a drink then turning to face the window. "For now, let's just enjoy the view."

The bridge of the Great Fox was a flurry of activity. ROB, Slippy, Falco and Peppy were each either on a communicator tracing down leads or pouring over sensor data. The ship had just taken on two starfighters – the Black Rose and the Cloud Runner – as Panther and Krystal boarded the carrier and met with the others on the bridge.

"Good to see you Krystal!" said Slippy, as cheerfully as he could muster, "And, uh, Panther..." he awkwardly continued. Seeing a member of a rival team on the bridge was a bit unsettling.

"So this is the inside of the Great Fox!" noted Panther. "Not quite what I expected, I have to admit."

"Did you have to bring _him_?" whispered Falco to Krystal just loud enough that Panther could hear.

"He can help," insisted Krystal, "and we need help right now."

"Agreed." said Peppy plainly. "Welcome aboard Panther! Now then have you found any leads?"

"I have tried to contact the other members of Star Wolf," noted Panther with surprising sincerity, "but..."

"We haven't been able to get in touch with Wolf." continued Krystal, looking at Panther with concern.

"Do you think he's involved?" asked Falco. Falco had no love for pirates and certainly no love for Panther or Wolf.

"Absolutely not!" shouted Panther. "Wolf would not resort to these sorts of tactics."

"He's a pirate," noted Falco, "I thought dirty tactics were fair game."

Panther looked more than slightly annoyed. "Former pirate," he seethed, "and Wolf has always held a great deal of admiration for Captain McCloud."

Krystal, noting the tension, put herself between Panther and Falco to keep the peace.

"Wolf was supposed to meet up with this guy who called himself the Admiral." noted Krystal. "One of our contacts at the Sargasso Space Bar heard him talking about it. He had mentioned he was offered some good money to take on a job but he kept the details close to his chest."

"Never a good idea to share too much about your job leads." noted Panther, "Especially at Sargasso."

"Where's your other squad-mate?" asked Falco.

"Leon..." noted Slippy with shudder.

"Leon would certainly have no qualms with going after Fox," noted Panther, "even if only for revenge. Abduction though? Not his style. If he got the drop on your friend, he would have just shot him dead then and there." he continued, drawing his finger across his throat. Everyone winced at the thought.

"And we did get in touch with Leon." clarified Krystal. "He wasn't terribly cooperative, but he hadn't seen Fox or heard of anyone going after him. Leon would have gloated about it if he had been involved. Did you guys find out anything more on your end?" she asked with hope.

Peppy rubbed his chin, "Nothing concrete. We did reach out to President Bowman on Venom. He stated that he hadn't seen Fox either but he would keep an eye out. Dash also said he couldn't be sure if it was a Venom cargo ship or not as they had a couple of ships that were missing and presumed destroyed in pirate raids."

"That makes me more than a bit nervous." noted Krystal. "Dash – he's Andross' grandson, isn't he?"

"He's also a big Fox fan boy." noted Falco. "I couldn't see him doing anything like this."

"Dash is one of the good guys!" Slippy added.

"It would be nice to know more about this 'Admiral' guy that Wolf was supposed to be working for." noted Falco.

"If you can slip near Sargasso without drawing attention, Panther and I can head down in our starfighters and start asking more questions." suggested Krystal. "I wouldn't head too close with the Great Fox though. The last thing you want is to get this thing into a firefight."

Peppy and Falco nodded. They had no other reasonable leads and the criminal underworld of Sargasso was their best hope.

#


	3. Chapter 3 - Opposite Ends

Chapter III

Opposite Ends

Fox paced back and for from within the holding cell. He was a captive sharing a cell with his oldest rival. Wolf meanwhile was sitting on one of the two small beds, holding back a bloody nose. Fox rubbed his wrists where his cuffs once were. His communicator, his weapons, his space suit and anything he could have had concealed on him had been removed. Wolf had been equally stripped of anything useful. They needed to find a way out though even if it meant working together. There was no telling what Andrew had planned for them but Fox knew it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Wolf hadn't said a word since they had been moved to the holding cell. It was an unusual silence from Fox's old rival. He figured that Wolf was likely plotting – working through a possible escape plan or trying to figure out what Andrew was up to.

"Thoughts?" asked Fox.

"I wish I had some tissue." noted Wolf plainly.

Fox raised his hands in disbelief. Wolf seemed incapable of grasping the severity of their situation.

"I take my looks very seriously." said Wolf, rubbing his nose. He got up and started to rinse the blood from his palms and do his best to rinse it from his face. "Lucky they didn't break anything."

Fox simply scowled at him. They had more important things to worry about.

"What's been eating you anyway?" asked Wolf. "I mean, about me specifically? I've saved your butt during the Anglar Blitz. My team risked their lives to help yours and you're still bitter as heck?"

Fox sighed. "You've been trying to kill me for years."

"Yeah." laughed Wolf. "Good times. Still, you're more wound than usual – and that's saying a lot. For a young guy, I've never seen anyone so consistently uptight. Can't be healthy. You'll die from a heart attack or an aneurysm before I get the chance to do the job."

"It's been a stressful few weeks and this – " Fox said, gesturing at the cell they were in, "this isn't helping."

"Lady troubles?" Wolf asked. He didn't know why he brought it up again. Seemed almost a shame to kick Fox when he was already down.

"It's a lot of things Wolf. Things have been a bit of a challenge with the Star Fox team. Everyone's going their own ways these days." admitted Fox out of frustration.

As much fun as it was to tease Fox, Wolf did start to consider that they might need each others' help and thought he'd best try to put Fox a bit more ease. "I hear ya. Not much different from where I'm sitting. But hey, a fella like you should start settling down. Find a lady. Have a family."

"Like you?" asked Fox.

"Ladies ain't been my thing." said Wolf.

Fox stared at him.

Wolf cleared his throat and corrected himself, "I mean, I'm married to this life. I like things the way there are. No room for romance."

Fox couldn't help but agree somewhat. He couldn't bring himself to consider settling down yet. He enjoyed things the way they were – or at least how they had been up until recently.

"What do you think Andrew wants with us?" asked Fox.

"You mean 'Admiral Oikonny' " said wolf in a mocking tone, "I don't know. Can't be good though. He doesn't want us dead yet but he certainly isn't looking to be buddies with us either. Should have just shot him when I kicked him off the team."

Fox winced.

"We have to get out of here." noted Fox, scanning the bars of the cell.

"Yeah, get right on that." Wolf noted. "We'll just break through those electrified bars with the tools we don't have, blast through an army of super-strong robot soldiers with weapons we don't have and hop into the starfighters we can't find."

Fox glared at him. "I though I was the one who was supposed to be sour."

"I don't take being double-crossed very well." noted Wolf.

"I'm surprised. You're certainly practiced at it." replied Fox.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, stop it." noted Andrew from the other side of the bars. Wolf and Fox both looked at him. Neither had heard him approach. "These petty arguments are not becoming of individuals such as yourselves."

"What do you want, Andrew." noted Fox. Wolf laid back in one of the beds with a bitter expression on his face.

"We're just about to depart. We're taking The Overseer – this battleship – out for a test run. If you both promise to behave, I'll let you get a front row seat of our first big test!" Andrew noted with excitement.

"And what if I'm not in the mood to behave." seethed Wolf.

Andrew lifted up a pair of handcuffs. "Oh, I'm prepared for that too."

#

The giant warship's main engines fired up while a large series of rods extended from the front of the vessel forming a large warp gate. Within moments, The Overseer lunged forward and was pulled through the warp. Fox and Wolf had each been escorted to the bridge. They had been handcuffed and held at gunpoint by a squadron of robot soldiers. The warship's bridge was large, comfortable and manned by both machines and several of Andrew's closest men. Within moments, the ship dropped from warp. A large space station surrounded by asteroids sprung into view.

"Sargasso!" exclaimed Wolf. "But how did we get here so quickly?"

Even after witnessing the velocity the cargo ship had been capable of Fox found it hard to believe that Andrew's warship could also be capable of such speeds.

"Yes, Sargasso." confirmed Andrew. "Your old hangout and a veritable hive of criminals, pirates and bounty hunters. At one point you even claimed the title of _Lord_ O'Donnell when you were in charge there." He turned to one of his crewmen, "Fire up the main cannon."

"One battleship against an army of pirates? They'll tear you apart, Andrew." insisted Wolf with a smug expression.

"Oh, I assure you they won't get the chance. The main cannon on this thing is a dimensional energy weapon. It literally tears space apart for a slight instant. The resulting collapse of matter afterward creates an unparalleled destructive wake. A couple shots with it and what little there is left of Sargasso Station will have no chance against this warship."

"What?" said Wolf. He paused for a moment to consider what Andrew was proposing. "Andrew, you know some of the people there. You can't..."

"Andrew may have had friend's there, but Admiral Oikonny does not." stated Andrew, flipping his cloak in a villainous manner. "It's their own doing for associating with the likes of you anyway."

"You piece of garbage!" Wolf hollered angrily as two robots grabbed him tightly. Fox tried desperately to find some way to stop Andrew but as he took a single step forward he found himself grabbed by another pair of robots. Their strength was incredible and he could do little to free himself. He could only watch as Wolf writhed in desperation.

"Weapon is ready." announced the crewman.

"Now watch as you feel the pain of my uncle Andross." said Andrew, turning his back on Fox and Wolf and turning his gaze to Sargasso Station. He gestured towards his target. "Fire."

With the flip of a switch, a single giant blue bolt erupted from the vessel. Despite the void of space, the beam emitted a sound as if the entire galaxy were being torn asunder. The beam struck the station dead on and the structure tore itself apart in a fiery explosion. No ships scrambled to the stations' defense. No one had a chance to fight back. Everyone on Sargasso station was dead in an instant. Even Andrew stood in awe of the weapon's power.

Wolf wailed in agony. Overwhelmed with grief and rage he lunged forward, breaking free of the robots' grip. He threw on of the guards almost effortlessly as adrenalin coursed through him. Andrew yelled in terror as his captive lunged in his direction. The space between them was too great for Wolf to cover in time and Andrew drew his blaster just as Wolf had reached out to grab him by the throat. The blast struck Wolf in the chest and he dropped to the ground. Andrew glared at him in shock and anger and gave his captive a few solid kicks. The soldiers released their grip on Fox and drew their weapons on Wolf. In that brief moment, Fox tried to discreetly grab what items he could from a nearby workstation and stuff them in his pocket. The robots tightened their grip on him again as soon as it was clear that Wolf was in no shape to resume his attack.

Andrew regained his composure. "You're lucky. Stun weapons only on the bridge I'm afraid. Safety reasons. I'm surprised you're still even conscious after that blast." He gave Wolf another kick with his boot. Wolf let out a grief filled gasp.

"I had considered just killing you once we destroyed Sargasso Station," noted Andrew still slightly out of breath from the surprise attack, "but I can't say I expected you to be this upset. It's touching, really. I thought you to be heartless. I think I'll leave you to wallow in your grief a bit longer before I put out out of your misery."

"Admiral" said one of the crewmen, "the main cannon has overheated. The secondary weapons systems are offline."

"No!" cursed Andrew. "Quickly, we must head back to Venom." He turned his attention immediately to Fox. "You're lucky! Your pain will have to wait a bit longer."

"You won't get away with this!" cried Fox, "Dash would never approve of something like this."

"You might be surprised." sneered Andrew. "Besides, I have plans for him too. Corneria itself will be nothing but rubble and our President Dash will have no way to stop me from taking Venom for myself and restoring my uncle's legacy! Take them away!"

Andrew gestured theatrically and then swept his cloak over his shoulder. Robot soldiers forcefully directed Fox towards the door. He looked back and watched as they grabbed Wolf off of the ground and dragged his now unconscious body behind them. If Corneria was Andrew's next target, Fox had to figure out a plan to stop him.

#

The Great Fox hurled through space. Its crew members were hopeful that somewhere they might find a clue to the disappearance of their colleague.

"Coffee?" asked Krystal, passing a mug to Panther who was seated at one of the bridge terminals. Peppy, Falco and Slippy had headed off to grab some quick shuteye as ROB piloted the ship towards Sargasso. Panther had been spending hours reaching out to his various contacts but finding no leads on Fox's whereabouts.

Panther reached out and took the coffee. He blew on it to cool it off and set it down near the console. "Communications have been down for most of the day." noted Panther. "I have not been able to reach anyone at Sargasso Station – either through the station's official channels or private long-range comms."

"That's odd." said Krystal.

"What's odd?" yawned Falco who had just woken from his nap. He walked aboard the bridge towards Krystal and Panther and was hoping for an update.

"Communication with Sargasso is down." repeated Krystal. "All of it."

"Hey ROB!" shouted Falco across the bridge. "What's our E.T.A. to the edge of the Sargasso Space Zone?"

"Arrival in fifteen minutes" noted ROB.

"Anything on long range scanners yet?" asked Falco.

"Negative," replied the robotic pilot, "there is nothing on long range scanners."

"Hmm… I am able to connect to one of the communication satellites." noted Panther. "I thought they must have gotten knocked out but they are operational. There is simply no communication coming from the Sargasso station itself."

"That's a bad thing, right?" asked Falco, still somewhat half asleep and now drinking the coffee Krystal had brought for Panther.

"Sargasso is secretive, but information and communication are money to mercenary groups. I should be able to find a fair bit of chatter going on." said Panther, shaking his head at Falco.

"That communication satellite thingy have cameras?" asked Falco.

"Good idea." Krystal replied.

"Hmm… there will be some severe latency in getting video at this range from the old satellites but let us see how the lovely Sargasso Station is doing." said Panther.

Within minutes, Panther managed to access the satellite's video system and direct it towards Sargasso station. All that remained of the station was debris.

"Uuuuhhhh…. it's not doing well…" said Falco.

#

Fox sat on the bed in his cell. What few pieces of material he had pocketed earlier were laid out in front of him. A spoon. A pen. Some fasteners. A small screwdriver. A battery pack. Some paper. He tried to figure out if any of them were of any use. He checked on Wolf every once in a while. His cellmate remained unconscious but would let out pained noises every few moments that kept Fox on edge. He couldn't help but feel pity for his rival. He knew Wolf had spent years building up a hideout in the Sargasso Space Zone and likely had friends there. He was also worried about Krystal. Had she been there with Panther? Was she gone too?

Wolf stirred and slowly sat up. He grabbed his chest and winced in pain. Fox got up to help. Part of him wanted to comfort his old enemy. He knew what it was like to feel like you had lost everything. He knew what it was like to suddenly be alone. Wolf, however, was determined to keep a strong face. He righted himself and raised a hand to Fox.

"I'm fine." he insisted.

"No, you're not." replied Fox, "You can't be. No one could be. Not after that."

Wolf didn't reply.

"I need to ask. I'm sorry to ask but..." Fox paused. "Was Krystal..."

Wolf shook his head. "If she's still with Panther, then they are on Zoness."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Fox stated sympathetically.

"Yeah, whatever." Wolf replied in a monotonous tone.

Fox sat beside him. He felt completely at a loss for what to do. Wolf didn't seem like the kind of person to accept much sympathy. Fox simply sat silently beside him for what felt like hours.

Finally Wolf broke the silence. "Nothing..." he muttered.

"Pardon?" asked Fox.

"I have nothing now." clarified Wolf, "Star Wolf is gone. My base is gone. My colleagues are gone. I have no idea what Andrew has done to my ship since I arrived. I'm broke." He paused and then gave a smirk and a small laugh, "Thanks to the pardon you got me after the Anglar Blitz, I don't even have a bounty on my head."

"What about joining Star Fox?" asked Fox. He had no idea what made him ask. He had been thinking about who he could find to build the team back up but Wolf had been a pirate and a criminal – not exactly Star Fox material. It also didn't help that he found Wolf more than a little grating.

Wolf gave half a smirk, "What?"

"I mean, we did make a good team briefly during those few times we were fighting on the same side – when you weren't trying to kill me." said Fox. He still wasn't sure why he was asking.

Wolf snorted. "You're adorable. Always trying to help others and do the right thing."

Fox couldn't bring himself to be offended. Wolf simply laid back in his bed quietly and stared at the ceiling.

Fox scratched his ear and tried to think of a way to snap Wolf out of it. He would need his help if they were to have any hope of breaking out or taking down Andrew's ship. There was no way to know how much time they would have before Andrew would get the warship's weapons back online and head for Corneria. Even if they could get out a warning there would be no guarantee that the entire Cornerian fleet would be able to stop the warship before it could unleash its weapon on the planet.

Fox went back to reviewing his stolen goods and trying to come up with a plan. He stopped only to hide the items when food was brought for them. He then pulled them back out as soon as the robotic guard had disappeared. It wasn't until the next day when Wolf finally approached him.

"An ion battery?" Wolf asked.

Fox nodded.

Wolf picked up the battery and gave it a look over. He checked a meter on the side to see if the battery still had a charge. "I have an idea. We might be able to use this to short out one of our robotic captors when they come to retrieve us next." suggested Wolf.

He grabbed the screwdriver and gently tapped the metal between the two terminals of the battery. The resulting pop of electricity lit up the room and left burning smell. The fur on Wolf's arm stood on end from the charge.

The two sat down and started discussing how they would turn the battery into a weapon. They worked quietly for hours.

"So, what do we do once we get out?" asked Fox with optimism.

"Kill Andrew." said Wolf with a sneer. He lifted up the screwdriver which he had now sharpened to a point and made a quick stabbing motion. Fox flinched.

"He'll be too well guarded. Those robots are tough. Maybe if we get in touch with Dash." suggested Fox.

"Dash won't be able to stop this warship," argued Wolf, "Andrew will just turn it on him. Game over."

"Then we sabotage the ship." suggested Fox.

Wolf nodded. "Maybe we can overload the engines... or the main cannon… or the energy core itself. It might delay them enough for you to contact the Cornerian fleet to finish the job."

Fox agreed. He lifted up their improvised stun gun. With metal from the spoon and some clever use of the other stolen materials they had managed to make a close range weapon that they hoped could overload one of the robots. They would likely only get once chance to pull it off. They need only wait for one of their robotic captors to show up.

The Great Fox was now drifting in the Sargasso Space Zone – a region of space known primarily for housing pirates and crime families. It had become increasingly notorious in the years after the Lylat wars when Wolf O'Donnell had used his influence to bring many of the rival pirates together in one place. He had made Sargasso Space Station his hideout – and now it lay in ruins.

"Incredible." noted Peppy.

The entire crew of the Great Fox were now standing on the bridge of the ship and staring out at the debris. There were no signs of life. Panther and Krystal were both holding each other – grief stricken at the decimation before them.

"This is horrible." she stated.

"It was a den of pirates and villains." Falco noted coldly.

"They were people, Falco!" Krystal bit back, "Some of them really good people! Just because they had made some bad decisions didn't mean they deserved this..." She hugged Panther even closer. Panther could do nothing but stare at the destruction. Falco scratched the back of his head, regretting his earlier statement but still in the firm belief that the destruction of Sargasso Station may have been the best thing for the galaxy. He hated pirates.

"What could have done this?" wondered Peppy.

"Judging by the debris and the background radiation, it may have been a dimensional energy weapon." noted Slippy. "They are mostly theoretical but it is possible that someone managed to build one. There were talks of the Cornerian Army trying to develop them not long ago but they were deemed too dangerous and any related research was destroyed."

"The Cornerian Army had plans for a weapon like this?" asked Peppy. He had never heard of such plans and he knew he would never have approved them.

"Before you became General. I'm always checking out what new developments the Cornerian Army has – when I can." Slippy noted excitedly, "I mean, I never saw the research myself – it was top secret – I just heard rumors about it and –"

"Slippy… whose research?" asked Peppy with a suspicious tone. There was one person he could think of who excelled at weapon design. That person had left Corneria claiming to be looking for a more peaceful life building things instead of developing weapons to destroy. That person left to become the leader of Venom. He had left to rebuild the very planet that his grandfather Andross had once lead.

"It was Dash! Can you believe it? He's a genius after all!" said Slippy, somewhat oblivious to the implications.

"Andross was a genius too." muttered Peppy.

#


	4. Chapter 4 - Cut Losses

Chapter IV

Cut Losses

Fox and Wolf had to wait until the following morning for one of the robotic guards to arrive with food. The two had decided to try the oldest trick in the book to get a better shot at incapacitating their target.

"I think he's dying!" shouted Fox theatrically, pointing at a groaning Wolf curled up on the bed. "I think he needs medical help!"

The guard looked towards Wolf. "Prisoner Wolf O'Donnell is expendable."

"Uh, I thought the Admiral wanted him alive?" asked Fox. They had forgotten that Andrew had simply wanted Wolf to witness Sargasso's destruction. They had forgotten that Andrew had planned to kill Wolf immediately after.

"Negative. Prisoner Wolf O'Donnell is expendable." repeated the guard.

Fox scrambled to find a way to encourage the robot to enter his cell but couldn't think of anything. Before he could react, he felt Wolf grab him from behind and place the sharpened end of the screwdriver at his throat.

"Is prisoner Fox McCloud expendable?" asked Wolf.

"Negative. Prisoner Fox McCloud is not expendable."

"Well then I guess you had better stop me before I puncture his artery." stated Wolf. Fox suddenly became incredibly uncomfortable with the scenario. Wolf was probably bluffing but if it meant saving his own life it was entirely possible he wasn't.

The robot dropped the food tray and drew its weapon.

"Prisoner Wolf O'Donnell, drop your weapon." stated the robot.

"You'll have to come in here if you want to stop me." stated Wolf with a cold tone that sent shivers down Fox's spine.

Wolf pushed the screwdriver firmly down across Fox's throat. Fox felt a pain as the tip cut sharply across his skin.

"Drop your weapon." repeated the robot.

"Or else what!?" yelled Wolf.

Fox knew the robot would not come in under such a threat. It would likely not enter the cell unless Wolf actually inflicted a mortal wound. He wondered if that was what Wolf had planned.

Wolf pulled his hand back and then thrust the screwdriver towards Fox's throat. Fox yelped as Wolf struck him. There was no pain but Fox could distinctly feel a trickle of blood run down his neck.

"I pull this out, he's dead. You do nothing, he's dead."

The robot quickly opened the door and charged towards Wolf and Fox.

"Now" whispered Wolf as he released Fox.

Fox lunged forward with the make-shift stun gun, driving the two contacts – now extended into two long sharp prongs by the metal from the stolen spoon – deep into the robot's face. There was a loud pop as the robot's head lit up with smoke and sparks. The smell of ozone filled the air as the robot dropped to the ground disabled.

Fox grabbed at his neck then looked at his bloody palm. There was blood, but not enough to suggest any major injury. He looked back at Wolf.

"I cut you when I jabbed you the first time. Wanted to draw enough blood to be convincing. When I swung in with the screwdriver, I flipped it backwards at the last minute. Some slight of hand." said Wolf, twirling the screwdriver.

"I thought you were actually going to stab me in the neck." stated Fox.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. That was my original plan. It would have been a hell of a lot more convincing." laughed Wolf. "You can't act for shit. Next time, could you at least writhe in pain a bit more. Maybe gargle like there's blood spilling into your throat." Wolf started making a gargling noise.

Fox scowled at him. "You are seriously twisted."

"I know, right? Not exactly Star Fox material."

Fox was at least relieved that Wolf was back to his old self. It would make what they had to do much easier.

The two escaped their cell and grabbed the rifle from the fallen robot. They began navigating the halls of the ship, carefully avoiding patrols and guards where they could. The ship was massive but the layout was fairly simplistic. The lack of human crew meant many of the rooms used to support them. Eventually they found their way to an elevator. Stepping in, Wolf scanned the buttons and snickered.

"What?" asked Fox.

Wolf pointed at the elevator controls. Each floor was carefully labeled with its contents and maps had been hung up to help guide technical crews. Fox's jaw dropped.

"They are just asking for this." laughed Wolf.

Wolf pushed the button beside 'Engineering' and the two studied the map as the elevator moved about. The doors swung open once the elevator came to rest, revealing two surprised technicians. Wolf fired a shot and instantly killed the first engineer on the spot. The second engineer ran down the hallway screaming for help. Fox tried to grab the gun from Wolf but not before a second shot was fired. The fleeing technician was hit square in the back of the neck and fell to the ground dead.

"What are you doing!?" exclaimed Fox. "They're only civilians! They aren't armed!"

He saw a look of fury carved into Wolf's face.

Wolf looked down at Fox. He regained is composure only slightly. "They were complicit in building this thing. What do you think the death toll was on Sargasso Station, Fox? What do you think the death toll would be if Andrew fired this thing at Corneria's capital? Everyone here played a part in this and if we take this thing out they are all going to go with it."

Fox backed down reluctantly.

Wolf looked back at Fox for a moment, sighed and flipped a switch on the weapon. "Look, it's on stun now. I have no idea how you've survived this long on your noble sensibilities."

Suddenly the room flashed red and alarms began to blare. The two of them looked to the opposite end of the hall where a terrified third technician had pulled the alarm. Wolf fired a well aimed shot from the rifle, knocking the technician out cold. The two then ran down the hallway.

"We'll have to make a run for the power core. If we can take that out, we disable the engines _and_ the weapons." noted Fox.

"Down here" gestured Wolf, pointing down the leftmost hallway of a forked path.

They ran down two more corridors, stunning another technician and destroying two robot guards in the process. They eventually reached a large open room with what appeared to be a small sun suspended at the center. Energy was being drawn both above and below the orb and various monitoring stations and energy conduits could be seen throughout the room. The room stretched upwards and downwards an additional couple of floors. The few engineers on-hand quickly ran for nearby exits.

"Wow, I've never seen such a large energy core." noted Fox.

Wolf fired two shots into the core. Both were deflected by shields.

Fox darted to a nearby terminal and began searching for any means to damage the power core. "I wish Slippy were here." he muttered.

"No, you don't." Wolf added. "Frog would have gotten himself shot two floors up."

Fox couldn't help but agree as he scanned the terminal. Wolf fired off two more shots – this time at security robots who had caught up to them.

"We're not going to have much time here." Wolf added.

"The main gun – it's still under repair. Looks like there are some major issues in the core's cooling system." noted Fox.

"So?" asked Wolf.

"It can't be fired from here, but the main cannon can be charged up and with their cooling system malfunctioning, that should cook the system. It might even blow the whole thing to bits."

"Win-win". said Wolf.

Fox hit a few switches and guessed his way around some computer screens.

"I've fired it up and I've locked out any outside consoles. They won't be able to shut it down from any terminal but this one." noted Fox.

Wolf lifted his weapon and fired a shot into the terminal. It erupted in sparks and flame. "Looks like they won't be shutting it down, period."

Fox nodded and the two ran towards the exit. Fox stopped abruptly as they left the main core room. A small hatch was set into the wall that was likely a maintenance access for engineering staff.

"Look!" he stated, pointing at the hatch. "We might be able to avoid security this way.

Wolf nodded and Fox pulled the cover off of the access. Stairs lead both up and down the small shaft. There was very little light or airflow but it did seem to provide access across the height of the ship with additional access tunnels sprawling outwards. The two climbed into the hatch and began to ascend. They could feel the heat from below increase as time passed. Heat from the core was likely starting to bleed through the ship.

They eventually reached the hangar floor and were able to climb to the hanger itself without incident. The large area was pristine with glossy polished floors and bright fluorescent lighting. It held a number of drone fighters but was otherwise empty of staff or security. They darted into the bay and ducked behind one of many small piles of cargo containers.

Wolf pointed. "My ship!"

A large Wolfen class starfighter, The Redfang, was sitting at the opposite end of the hangar bay. The Redfang was a fairly advanced fighter and likely much more technically advanced than Fox's own Arwing. It was a point of pride for Wolf and the pristine condition of the ship lead Fox to believe it had been well cared for despite Wolf's current financial situation.

"It's your way out kid!" Wolf noted.

Fox was taken by surprise at the suggestion. "Wait, what about you? You're coming too!" Fox answered.

"She's only got one seat and I have some business to attend to." stated Wolf.

"What kind of business? We don't know what's going to happen when that core overheats. You can't just stay here." insisted Fox.

"I told you before, I'm going to kill Andrew." said Wolf.

"You'll be the one that gets killed!" Fox yelled.

"Probably. But I'll make sure he goes first." insisted Wolf, flipping his weapon from stun back to its maximum setting.

Fox had no idea how he'd convince Wolf to not throw his life away. He knew there was little chance of Wolf even making it back to the bridge and there was no way of knowing if the warship would blow up in its entirety once the core overheated. Before he could think of anything else to say, he caught sight of two robot guards raising weapons in their direction.

"Wolf, get down!" Fox yelled, leaping at Wolf and pulling him out of the line of fire. The two crashed into cover behind a second set of crates. Wolf pulled Fox off of him and opened fire on the two robots, hitting them both with a satisfying crack.

"If you're gonna go, you'd better go now kid." Wolf stated, picking off two more guards as they entered the bay. He stopped suddenly as he heard a groan and caught the smell of seared flesh. He turned back to look towards Fox who was now hunched over and clutching his side.

"Ah, no, no, no..." cried Wolf. He quickly checked the wound.

"Wasn't set to stun." groaned Fox.

The wound was minor by blaster standards, but Fox wasn't going anywhere under his own power. Wolf stood up and looked down at Fox sympathetically. He knew that more guards would be coming soon and there was no way he'd get Fox to The Redfang and make it back to the maintenance access unseen. His goal was to climb up a few more floors through the maintenance shaft and then make his way to the bridge and end Andrew's life even if it meant he would die in the process. He couldn't get Fox to the starfighter _and_ kill Andrew – and vengeance was on the forefront of his mind.

"Tough break, kid, but you're on your own. If it makes you feel better – and I know it probably won't – I'll make sure Andrew pays for all of this." stated Wolf as he turned to head back to the access hatch.

"Wolf, take the ship and get the hell out of here!" shouted Fox.

Wolf ignored him and crawled back to the maintenance access and ducked out of sight. Fox felt the wound in his side. The shot hadn't hit anything vital, but it was painful. He applied pressure to stop the bleeding and tried to stand up. He slipped over towards the fallen robots Wolf had destroyed and grabbed one of their rifles just in time to open fire on two more guards as they approached. He stood upright and tried to catch his breath. The Redfang was still the entire length of the hangar away. He tried his best to make headway but found himself losing balance as each step caused pain to shoot up his side. With every few steps he took, he needed to stop to check for more guards. There was no way he would make it without either getting overwhelmed by guards or passing out from his injury.

"Ah Hell!" exclaimed Wolf as he threw Fox's arm over his shoulder. Wolf had returned not long after he had left. His conscience wouldn't let him leave Fox to die.

"I thought you were going to go kill Andrew." groaned Fox.

Wolf fired at another guard, destroying it. "I wouldn't forgive myself if I let you die like this." noted Wolf. "Shot by a damned rust bucket."

He darted toward The Redfang with Fox hopping at his side. He paused every few moments to take cover and fire the occasional blast towards the door. The two eventually reached his starfighter but Wolf had doubts that Fox could pilot it in his condition. He climbed into his fighter's cockpit and hauled Fox up into his lap. He reached around to grab at the controls as the cockpit sealed shut.

"Normally, I'd have a few jokes about this whole situation – I'd have a few good quips about me saving your hide, et cetera," he said, firing his ships guns at the entrance and taking out two more robots, "but right now I'd just like to get us out of here and for you to not bleed to death in the process. You'll have to take the stick while I work the rest of the controls."

Wolf peered around the back of Fox's head and fired up the engines as Fox turned the ship towards the hangar bay doors. A quick missile shot from the fighter across the bay blew the doors open and the fighter took off with a roar.

Wolf peered back as the Redfang escaped the hangar. He examined the warship closely and saw the main cannon glowing with heat. "Blow up, blow up you son of a bi – "

Blasts from a number of small drone fighters interrupted Wolf's thoughts. The automated fighters emerged from the ship in great number and began firing, clipping the The Redfang's right engine.

"Damnit, guess they aren't totally defenseless!" shouted Wolf.

"I got it." noted Fox, steering the fighter as best he could in the cramped confines of the cockpit. The ship dodged several blasts, but the engine quickly began to sputter from the damage.

Suddenly the shots stopped. The great warship's main gun let off a mighty roar and belched out a burst of flame before going silent. The drones stopped firing and simply started to drift aimlessly. The entire warship listed.

"Looks like we did it. They're not going anywhere soon." noted Fox.

Wolf frowned. The ship was heavily damaged – possibly completely inoperative – but Andrew was likely still alive. He stared angrily at the warship's bridge. He only snapped back to attention when he felt Fox go slightly limp and release the flight stick.

"Woah, woah, hold on kid! Don't bleed out on me!" said Wolf.

"It's okay, I'm okay." Fox groaned. "Just a bit light headed."

Wolf looked down towards the blue-green planet below. Venom. He'd have to set down on Venom.

"Okay, don't mind the hands." Wolf stated as he grabbed hold of the flight stick.

"Do you have to make this awkward?" asked Fox, coughing a laugh.

Wolf set course for the main colony, but his fighter wouldn't have it. As soon as the Redfang entered the atmosphere, the engine failed completely and the fighter lurched forwards. Wolf fought with the controls as best he could but there was no way the landing was going to be an easy one.

#


	5. Chapter 5 - Finding a Path

Chapter V

Finding a Path

The Redfang skidded across the sand and slid firmly into two palm trees. The console fizzled and sputtered and the cockpit filled with smoke and the smell of burnt wiring. Wolf popped the cockpit and waved off the smoke. Though the engine had been damaged Wolf was still able to find a stretch of beach near a dense jungle and managed to land the starfighter. He knew it could have been far worse and marveled at his luck.

"You've clearly had a lot of practice with crash landings." chuckled Fox painfully.

"Kid if you don't bleed to death, I might have to shoot you if you make another crack like that one." said Wolf.

As he guided Fox up from the cockpit, he felt a warm, sticky patch of blood on the seat. He hauled his partner down and rested him against the fallen palms. He ran back to the ship and pulled a first aid kit out from inside the cockpit. He cleaned, sewed and patched up Fox's wounds as best he could. Years as a pirate and mercenary had taught him a great deal of field medicine. As he left Fox to rest, he pulled out the remainder of the emergency supplies from a compartment of the starfighter.

Wolf looked up. He could see a dark object move across the clouds. He pulled the binoculars from his emergency kit and scanned the sky. The object was clearly a shuttle entering the atmosphere.

"Andrew." seethed Wolf.

Andrew was likely heading to the colony in hopes of finding his former captives. Wolf pulled some of the palm leaves over his ship to do his best to conceal it. Andrew would not likely look for them so far from the main colony, but he didn't want to take the risk.

Wolf left Fox to rest while he spent the rest of the day setting up a shelter using a tarp and materials from his emergency supplies. He spent the evening toying with the ship's damaged radio trying to contact help. He would take the time every so often to check on Fox.

Fox stirred while Wolf sat preparing a small fire.

"Well, you're not dead I guess." said Wolf. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Sore... hungry actually." noted Fox.

Wolf tossed Fox some rations and a canteen. Fox popped a piece of dried food in his mouth and chewed slowly.

"Look, thanks for saving my life." said Fox after swallowing a piece of ration.

"I told you, I couldn't let my greatest rival die at the hands of some rust bucket." noted Wolf. "It's funny. I spent years hoping to take you out myself and then here I am again – saving your hide like you're some damsel in distress."

Fox took offense to the reference but drowned his objections with drink from the canteen.

Fox coughed. "Rum!?"

"Ha!" laughed Wolf. "Yeah, wrong canteen. Look, take a swig it might make you feel better."

Fox tightened the lid on the canteen and set it aside. Wolf sighed, shrugged and tossed Fox the water. Fox winced as he leaned over to catch it.

"Yeah, careful you don't pop a stitch. We really should get you to a doctor. Radio's busted, but hopefully I can get it working before Andrew and his goons find us." said Wolf, tapping the radio with a wrench.

"He's still out there," said Fox, "Andross' nephew. That man's legacy will haunt me for the rest of my days."

Wolf snapped a branch in two in a moment of anger. He tossed the pieces into the campfire.

"I'm sorry for your loss." continued Fox. For a moment, he had forgotten that Wolf had only recently lost his friends at Sargasso Station.

"You want to know why I saved you?" snarled Wolf with a sudden hint of bitterness. "You are all I have left. A rival I've tried to kill for years and now the only person I have that I can hope to relate to. I could have killed Andrew with my own hands and ended Andross' legacy right there, but no, I had to be sentimental and save your hide instead."

"Thanks?" asked Fox.

Wolf snorted.

"I'm growing on you, aren't I?" joked Fox, trying to lighten the mood.

Wolf sputtered. "Like a pimple on my ass."

Fox laughed but noticed Wolf had gone quiet and had completely broken eye contact. Wolf took a long drink from the canteen of rum and set back to working on the radio.

#

"Destroyed, you say?" asked Dash after hearing the news.

General Peppy Hare was seated at a desk in the Captain's quarters of the Great Fox staring at a view screen. He had contacted Dash Bowman, ruling President of Venom. He had known Dash and considered him a friend. He didn't like the prospect of a friend being associated with Fox's abduction or with whatever had happened at Sargasso Station. Still, Dash was one of their few remaining leads.

"Not much left of it." said Peppy. "We've been searching for survivors, but so far we've found nothing and any ships entering the Sargasso Space Zone have turned tail before we could contact them."

"Well, on the upside, this should cut down on the number of criminals and pirates that have plagued the galaxy, don't you think?" ask Dash, coolly.

Peppy was a bit surprised at Dash's callous attitude towards the situation. There had been a great loss of life and the fact was whoever had done it was still unknown and likely wielding a powerful weapon.

"Listen, Dash," started Peppy.

"Please, President Bowman. I know I've been friends with the Star Fox team but I must insist on formalities, General Hare." said Dash.

Peppy could feel a vein in his forehead throb. He wasn't in the mood for games or formalities and certainly not from someone less than half his age. "Slippy seems to think the weapon that was used was a dimensional energy weapon – something he believes you had conceived back when you were in the Cornerian Army."

"General, I developed a number of weapons in my time with the Cornerian Army. I was a brilliant young mind and Corneria put my skills to use. One of the reasons I left was to get away from building weapons and instead build a utopia." said Dash.

"But the fact remains you did develop plans for a dimensional energy weapon – one that could do this kind of damage." insisted Peppy.

Dash looked disinterested but relented. "Yes, it was one of the weapons I designed. But the Cornerian Army had no interest in it."

"Did Venom build such a weapon?" asked Peppy, taking on an accusatory tone.

"What Venom uses as part of its military technology is confidential, please understand." said Dash.

"So you did build it." said Peppy. "You built it and you destroyed Sargasso Station."

Dash looked unfazed. "Venom's military technology is confidential."

"Why?" asked Peppy. "Why did you do it?"

"General, I can assure you I've played no part in the destruction of Sargasso Station. I can also assure you that I feel no remorse for the loss of a horde of criminals. Now if you don't mind, it's getting late." said Dash.

Peppy was at a loss for words. The conversation had been far from comforting.

"Oh, and one last thing," asked Dash with concern, "have you found Captain McCloud?"

"…Fox?" said Peppy, "No, we haven't."

Dash looked genuinely disappointed. "I see. Good evening then, General Hare."

The screen went black as the communication ended. Peppy slumped back in his seat. Dash had to have built the a dimensional energy weapon and that weapon had to be the one that destroyed Sargasso Station. What did that imply? What was he going to do with such a weapon? Was he involved at all in Fox's abduction? Peppy needed to find more answers and Venom was the only place he could think to find them.

Fox woke up to the smell of cooking. He turned to see Wolf perched over the fire and heating some food in a metal pot. Wolf peered up as soon as he saw Fox stir from his sleep.

"Breakfast?" asked Wolf.

Fox nodded.

"Lots of edible fruit and plants nearby. Beats rations at least." noted Wolf.

He poured a bowl of what looked like warm gruel and walked it over to Fox.

"You've been asleep for a good day." noted Wolf. "You need to eat and heal up. Radio's really busted and I don't have the parts to fix it. We're going to need to walk to the colony and I'm not about to carry you the whole way."

Fox looked up at Wolf with a though filled expression.

"Don't." said Wolf.

"What?" replied Fox.

"Don't say ' _Leave me here and go on without me_ ' " mocked Wolf with a dramatic flourish. "I know that's what you're thinking. I've done too much to save your hide to just leave you out here in the woods. Colony's a few days walk away. If I left you by yourself you wouldn't last the time it would take for me to walk to the colony and come back. In all likelihood, Andrew's already started looking for us. If he finds the ship, he'll find you soon after. I'm not giving him the satisfaction of killing you."

"Wow, how kind of you." said Fox, sarcastically.

"Lift your shirt." commanded Wolf.

Fox stared at him blankly. Wolf lifted up a first aid kit and gave a cheeky grin.

"Gotta check your bandages."

Fox furrowed his brow.

"Just be grateful you didn't get shot in the ass." said Wolf.

Wolf checked and cleaned Fox's bandages then allowed him to finish his breakfast. "I really wish you hadn't taken a bullet for me." noted Wolf.

"And let you get killed instead?" asked Fox.

" _I_ would have," noted Wolf, "If I were in your shoes." Wolf sat on a nearby log and began eating his own breakfast.

"Don't give me that ' _I'm a heartless scoundrel_ ' crap. You would have. You saved my life when you could have just left me." said Fox.

"I saved _you_." noted Wolf, setting down his bowl, "Last I checked, _you_ weren't _me_ and people like _me_ aren't worth people like _you_ throwing your life away for."

"I never thought of you as someone who had self-esteem issues." said Fox with a mouthful of breakfast.

"Look, I'm perfectly happy with who I am. Charming and good looking. A pilot with unequaled skill and with a quick wit to boot. That said, while I'm certainly not a loathsome person I'm not exactly a good guy. I've hurt people. I have worked for some terrible individuals. I've spent my entire life living without a single care for anyone else in the world. I'm not exactly a net positive in this universe." shrugged Wolf.

"You don't give yourself enough credit." assured Fox. "You've helped us during the Aparoid invasion and you came to help us during the Anglar Blitz."

"And each time I did it for my own personal reasons. I didn't do it to be a hero." said Wolf, "You're going to get yourself killed. You risk your life saving people who aren't worth risking your skin for."

Fox tried to think of a solid argument but Wolf continued.

"Didn't you hear the rumors, that I'm partially responsible for James' death?" said Wolf with a sudden hint of menace.

Fox swallowed and looked away. The conversation had taken an unexpectedly sharp turn for the worse and Fox had no idea what was going through Wolf's head. "Andross killed my father." Fox stated bitterly.

"I thought the entire Lylat system had heard whispers of Star Wolf's involvement."

Fox started to choke. He had heard the rumors that Wolf was involved in James' capture but he never knew if it was true or what it even meant. After Wolf's aid during their last two encounters, Fox had dismissed the idea entirely. He didn't think it could be true. He had placed the blame solely on Andross and now Andross was dead.

Wolf shrugged. "I figured if you had heard the rumors you would have killed me when you had the chance. I figured you would have taken the shot to do right by your old man." he stated, striking his chest with his fist. "But nope, you go and throw yourself into the line of fire and get yourself shot to save me – your old man's legacy be damned."

"Did you play a part in his death?" asked Fox.

"If I did?" asked Wolf.

"My father wouldn't have wanted me to kill you out of revenge. You were just doing your job, right?" replied Fox, his voice trembling slightly.

"I'm not expecting you to kill me. I know damned well you couldn't. But risking your neck for someone who could very well have been at least partially responsible for your father's capture and death is..."

Wolf stopped and stared at Fox who was now looking away but visibly upset. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I just… Every time I close my eyes I see my old team. I see the pirates from Sargasso. I see Leon. Max – he was the bartender at the station's watering hole. Big friendly guy unless you crossed him. I see my favorite waitress, Ruby. She used to wait on our table every night and try to cheer us up whenever a mission went sideways. She used to hit on me something fierce too. They're all gone and all I can think about is killing Andrew and every single person he associates with. If I had the ships, I'd probably level this entire colony." he said.

Wolf leaned back and looked at the sky and sighed.

"How can you not want bloody revenge, Fox? Why don't you want to kill me right here and now?" asked Wolf. He paused for a moment and then continued. "Your father was a great man. I'm sorry for your loss. You can rest easy knowing I played no part in his capture or his death."

Fox looked at him.

"I'm sorry for getting you worked up. I just have trouble figuring you out. You've always been a genuinely noble person and I just wonder if anything I've done in my life was worth it. Would anyone even notice if I were gone – if I had been on Sargasso Station when Andrew murdered everyone there? All these years I've lived for myself and then I keep running into you. You keep rushing in to be the hero," said Wolf, standing up and moving towards the fire, "and I can't help feeling a bit envious. Then I keep finding myself doing all of this out of character crap like saving your hide."

Fox didn't know what to say. Wolf adjusted the logs in the fire.

"Every day is a new opportunity to start over." said Fox.

"Just eat your breakfast." muttered Wolf, somewhat lost in thought.

#

"You called for me, President Bowman?" asked Andrew as he walked into a large empty boardroom. Andrew loathed the fact that he was serving under his younger cousin, but he could not deny Dash' charisma, his brilliance or his ability to lead. The two had recently been bound by their mutual desire to see their uncle's legacy restored – although they each shared very different views on what that legacy was.

Dash Bowman, in presidential attire, stood near the middle of the room staring out of a window and across the colony skyline. The sun was setting in the distance.

"I've been having some interesting conversations with General Peppy Hare of the Cornerian Army." Dash stated plainly.

"The Cornerian Army?" asked Andrew nervously.

"Yes, Admiral Oikonny. It appears he knows about our ship – The Overseer. Star Fox came across the remains of Sargasso Station." said Dash.

"I see." said Andrew.

"It was only a matter of time before they found it and I hadn't expected they would have linked the weapon back to me so quickly. The test at least proved some good results," noted Dash, "and once we fix the coolant problem it should make for a valuable addition to Venom's defenses and keep us safe from outside threat. The universe is certainly much safer with Sargasso Station and its criminal element removed from the picture."

"Yes, of course." said Andrew. "But..."

"But?" asked Dash.

"Well, it appears the coolant problem was far worse than we had realized. The core overheated as a result. I'm afraid the damage is pretty severe. It will take a lot of work to get it up and running again." said Andrew nervously.

Dash looked back at him with annoyance. "I want a full report on the damages. We need that warship operational as soon as possible. Call in additional repair crews if needed. The Overseer is our greatest asset in ensuring Venom remains safe. We need it back online. Spare no resources!"

"Of course!" replied Andrew. He was pleased at Dash's commitment of resources. He too wanted the warship brought back online as soon as possible. Equally pressing to him, however, was finding Wolf and Fox before they could interfere with his plans.

"Before you go, Admiral, I have one question for you." said Dash.

"Yes, of course!" stuttered Andrew.

"Have you seen Captain Fox McCloud." he asked.

"Uh, no. No. Not since before the Aparoid Invasion years ago." lied Andrew.

"It just seems strange that Fox would go missing at a time like this." noted Dash.

"Maybe Star Wolf got him," lied Andrew, "It would have been a shame if he was on Sargasso..."

Dash grew troubled at the idea of accidentally killing a man he had respected so much. "I hope he's alright." Dash admitted.

Andrew grew more worried. If Dash found out that he had kidnapped Fox and then lied to him about it he would lose his position as Admiral and his plans would be ruined. "Yes, I hope so too." said Andrew as he backed his way towards the door.

"The cargo ships we lost last month..." continued Dash.

Andrew stopped cold in his tracks.

"It was pirates who shot them down, correct?" asked Dash. There was no sign of suspicion in Dash's voice, but Andrew felt himself break out into a cold sweat.

"Yes." noted Andrew. "If nothing else, with the destruction of Sargasso Station, those poor men will have been avenged." Andrew had stolen one of the vessels himself, used it to capture Fox and had been blaming pirates for the disappearance of the ship ever since.

Dash did not ask any more questions. Andrew took the opportunity to slip out of the boardroom. He had to find Fox and Wolf soon and dispose of them both or he would have to turn on Dash much sooner than he would have liked.

#

Wolf continued to work away at his attempts to repair damaged equipment from The Redfang while scanning the skies every so often for signs of Andrew's shuttle or enemy ships. Even if a ship came from the colony, would they be friendly? What if the President of Venom was behind their capture and the attack on Sargasso?

Fox spend much of the day resting and recovering from his wound. He still worried about Wolf's state of mind. He had never expected to feel as much sympathy for his old rival as he did. After supper, Fox managed to find a deck of playing cards among the survival gear. The two played cards until dusk, telling tales of their past missions.

"How did you end up becoming a mercenary?" asked Fox.

"It's in my blood I guess." stated Wolf.

"Your father was a mercenary?" asked Fox while dealing out cards.

"He was a pirate." Wolf clarified.

"And you grew up around pirates?" asked Fox. "I thought you grew up on Corneria? You entered the Academy and I thought you got charged with treason."

"I didn't grow up around pirates." Wolf continued, "My father was a pirate but he left my mother and I when I was young. He was a horrible father, in retrospect. I was never good enough for him. He always felt my mother and I were holding him back. He always had big plans. Money and wealth. One day he just left."

"So, how did you end up following in his footsteps?" asked Fox.

"For a while I didn't. I did the opposite. I went to the Academy on Corneria. I studied hard and excelled in spite of my father. I met James McCloud there too." noted Wolf.

"I didn't know that." said Fox.

"Yup, I met your Dad. He taught me a few piloting tricks and took me and a few others under his wing for a while. Me, Pigma Dengar and a couple other cadets. You were a young pup at the time. You might have been ten or so." noted Wolf.

Fox's eyes widened. "I didn't now we had met back then." he sputtered.

"I saw you, but we never really met. You had stopped by briefly to see your father but we were never introduced." Wolf clarified. He could barely recall the meeting himself, only that he envied Fox for having a father who cared about him.

"So what happened? Why didn't you stay with the Academy?" Fox asked.

"Turns out someone found communication logs between myself and my father. My father was a known pirate with a bounty on his head and the logs showed me feeding him classified military information." stated Wolf

"Did you?" asked Fox. He was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Wolf shook his head. "It didn't matter to the Cornerian justice system. Your father stood up for me the entire time. He might have been the only one. You take after him in a lot of ways. You both stick out for people."

"So what happened then?" asked Fox.

"I ended up fleeing the planet. James even tried to track me down and we got into a few mix-ups at the time. I was too young, angry and arrogant to even listen to him. I went so far as to blame him for the whole situation – for not being able to prove my innocence. I went to find my father to get answers. By the time I found dear old Dad, someone else had beaten me too him." Wolf ran his finger across his throat. "Such is the life of a pirate. It wasn't until many years later that Pigma admitted to being the one who leaked the information to my father using my own console. Turns out he had sold the information to the pirates for a tidy sum."

"Pigma?" Fox asked. He had known that Pigma Dengar had betrayed his father and the original Star Fox team to Andross and then joined Star Wolf. He knew the man had been willing to betray anyone for the right price.

"May his fat carcass rot in Hell." seethed Wolf. "He betrayed your father's squadron to Andross. He betrayed me. I hadn't found out until years later – someone tipped me off to his treachery. I kicked him off of the team and then he went and got himself killed. He got what was coming to him. My father apparently had quite a legacy though before his death and his name carried a lot of weight. I was welcomed into the underworld with open arms. After that, I created my own mercenary group and formed the Star Wolf squadron." Wolf grinned briefly, but then suddenly took on a more forlorn expression. "I heard about James' death not long after. That's when Pigma showed up with a pile of money from Andross and a promise for more if we'd be his hired guns. Turns out Pigma had also spread the rumor that we were the ones involved in James' death. After all, who better to have killed an elite pilot than the mercenary who had trained with him and then committed treason right under his nose? I never contested the rumor. It was good for business and my reputation as a pirate."

Wolf paused for a moment. "For a good long time, it kept me awake at night."

Fox said nothing. He didn't know what to say.

Wolf suddenly perked up. "You know, James once told me he hoped his son would grow up to be just like me." He laughed heartily. "If he only knew."

"What do you think he'd say if he were here today?" asked Fox.

"Probably something along the lines of 'Wolf, you sure grew up to be one handsome, kick-ass S.O.B.' " claimed Wolf. "Much better than that son of mine."

"So all those years of you chasing me down – trying to kill me." stated Fox.

"But I didn't kill you, did I?" admitted Wolf. "Honestly, I tried. I told myself it was my job and I was a hired mercenary. In a strange way, I was angry at you and angry at myself. Killing you would mean putting a big part of my past behind me. I could completely cut all ties with my former life. If nothing else, I wanted to see you fail. Still… I can't say my heart was ever really in it"

"I'm glad I saved you back on the warship." stated Fox. He was genuinely happy to have had the opportunity to get to know Wolf better and he started feeling some admiration for him.

"Aw" joked Wolf, "you're gonna make me blush."

Fox laughed and the two continued to share tales of missions and exploits well into the evening. Both of them were surprised by how much they understood one another, despite some of their differences. Both of them wondered if in another life – one without villains like Pigma and Andross – they might have been on the same team or even friends.

Fox dismissed the idea as likely being a bit naive. Wolf dismissed it as being unrealistic for someone like him and admonished himself for going soft.

#

Back on the warship, Andrew was starting to panic. Fox and Wolf had been gone for days now. It was possible they were dead. It was also possible that they were on President Bowman's doorstep and about to reveal to Dash everything he had planned. He sipped nervously at some tea but it wasn't helping to soothe him. He stood up and paced about the bridge.

"Status report?" he asked impatiently.

"Core functionality is nearly restored but the coolant system is still having issues. We can't fire the main weapons and warp is unavailable." noted one of his crewmen.

"Are the drone transmitters back online at least?" he demanded.

"Power has been restored to the drone transmitters. Our fighters are back online." said the crewman.

"Excellent. Send a scouting team of drones out to the eastern quadrant to find out where they might have landed their fighter. Their ship was damaged and I expect they had to make an emergency landing. I want a net of robot soldiers deployed discreetly on the eastern outskirts of the colony. Have them sweep outwards. I want those two murderers killed on sight." exclaimed Andrew.

With his drone ships online at least, he would be able to expand his search. The robots could cover a lot of ground in a short time.

"And what about President Bowman?" asked the crewman.

"If he asks, tell him we're doing some exercises to debug the warship's systems. It's a half truth anyway." noted Andrew.

He was getting increasingly nervous of Dash's suspicions. It would only be a matter of time before Dash would figure out what he was up to. Andrew had plans to take over Venom and had taken steps to ensure he could neutralize Dash's entire army if needed. Still, attacking Venom too soon would run the risk of weakening his own forces and delaying his attack on Corneria. If Corneria fell first, Venom would be easy to deal with. If he had to tangle with Dash, it could delay is assault on Corneria and he would lose access to Dash's knowledge and charisma. He would rather use his cousin for as long as possible. If he had to though, Andrew would waste no time in destroying him.

#

The following morning, Wolf began to pack up their campsite as best he could. He grabbed anything he could carry. The two ate breakfast quietly and then started their long walk towards the colony. The skies had started to cloud over ominously and the winds had picked up. The trek was slow but Fox felt better than he had expected and the two made decent headway. Every hour or so they would pause for a rest and Wolf would consult a portable scanner to ensure they were heading in the right direction. Neither spoke much but the previous evening had made them more comfortable in each others company. After years of being rivals, becoming friends still seemed like a foreign concept. Still, both were happy to see old animosities put behind them if only for the time being.

The two stopped briefly at the sounds of engines overhead. Looking up, they noticed a drone ship fly close to the treeline.

"Someone's looking for us." said Fox.

"It has to be Andrew's men." Wolf stated with annoyance. "No one else knows we're on planet. Let's keep moving."

Fox nodded and helped grab a few pieces of gear. The two started deeper through the woods towards the colony. Fox's pace improved but he still required breaks from time to time. Wolf simply used the extra time to forage and to supplement their supplies.

Eventually, the two reached an unexpected obstacle. A large river cut across their path. Wolf sighed heavily. He really wasn't keen on getting wet and the river looked like it could be deep enough to be a challenge. Water wasn't an obstacle he had to deal with much in his travels through space and he even questioned weather he could swim if it were needed.

Fox picked up a stick and tossed it into the river. The current carried the stick downstream fairly slowly. "Not a fast current at least." he said reassuringly.

The two scouted out a small length of the river and found the best possible point to cross. They took what precautions they could. Fox found a good length of branch they could use to help guide and support them across and the two held onto each other and started into the water. It seemed less deep than expected at first and the crossing looked like it might be easy going as long as they took things slowly. Half way across the river, however, they heard the sounds of an aircraft. A drone fighter was flying nearby and heading in their direction. There would not be enough time to cross the river before the aircraft would be close enough to spot them.

"Get down low!" said Fox.

The two lowered themselves into the water until they were nearly submerged. As the fighter made its pass, they ducked under water briefly to avoid being spotted. Fox resurfaced carefully and watched the aircraft continue on it's way. "We're good." he noted.

He took a quick look around and noticed Wolf hadn't come to surface. He had lost his footing and the bags he was carrying only increased the current's drag on him even more. He panicked as he tried to fight he current and regain his footing. He tried to remove the gear he was carrying but one of the ties had gotten snagged. The panic left him running out of breath quickly. It seemed like he had been struggling for minutes when he felt himself get pulled upwards. Fox had somehow snagged Wolf's backpack and used it to pull him to the surface and out of the water. He helped him to the edge of the river and the two collapsed on the shoreline. Wolf gagged and chocked on water he had managed to take into his lungs. He laid face down for a moment, gasping but safe. He looked over at Fox who seemed to be in some discomfort from his injury but otherwise no worse for wear.

"Couldn't let you drown." said Fox, panting.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks." smirked Wolf.

"Come on," said Fox, rising to his feet with a pained expression. "We should at least try to make it back under the cover of the trees before that drone fighter comes back."

Wolf nodded. He climbed to his feet as best he could. The experience had drained most of the energy out of him. Fox helped him drag himself into the forest.

The two of them were soaked through and through. The trees near the river had grown fairly large and provided decent cover from any drones that might fly by and the two agreed that it would make for a good place to rest and set up camp for a bit. Fox gathered firewood while Wolf tried to catch his breath. He took off his soaked shirt and pants and set them out to dry. While some of the supplies had been sealed to protect from water much of their gear had gotten wet. Fox got a small fire started and then set his own clothes out to dry off.

Wolf noticed Fox's bandage had gotten bloody and pulled out the first aid kit – thankfully waterproof and dry – and began helping Fox check on his injury. The wound had reopened somewhat, but Wolf was able to help mend it and the two sat side by side near the fire, gnawing on some rations.

Fox looked Wolf over for a moment.

"What?" asked Wolf, raising an eyebrow.

"I kinda expected you to have more scars." noted Fox. "I expected you would have some neat wounds or cybernetics under your shirt. Comparing war wounds might have been a fun topic for the evening."

"Nope." said Wolf. "Got a few good cuts from some bar fights and of course there's my bad eye – but other than that I've won most fights I've gotten into pretty cleanly. Can't say the same for anyone whose crossed me though."

Wolf took a look over at Fox. "Not a mark on you though – other than that nice mess on your side. That will leave a mark. Damn shame. I was hoping I'd have put a few good ones in your hide by now."

Fox looked down at his fresh bandages.

"You know, if anyone asks – just tell them I shot ya." laughed Wolf. "Might make us both feel better."

"So, what do you plan to do if we survive this?" asked Fox, moving closer to the fire to dry himself off. Wolf continued to look him over for a few moments before looking off in thought.

"Dunno, honestly. The only thing I can think about right now is finding a nice warm bed to lie in once this is all done. Get some nice dry clothes. Eat a nice big meal." said Wolf wistfully. "Piss on Andrew's corpse."

"Sounded nice up until the last part." said Fox.

"I supposed you'd just be content to see him behind bars then?" asked Wolf.

Fox didn't answer. He honestly wasn't sure. Andrew had killed so many and was planning on killing so many more. He was also determined to continue Andross' legacy – the legacy of a the man who had killed Fox's father.

"If that's the case, you'll have to stop me." said Wolf, plainly.

Fox didn't like that idea at all. Having gotten to know Wolf better, he felt the two had a lot in common. He had hoped that maybe once everything was done that he really could get Wolf to join Star Fox.

"And you? What makes you tick, Fox? After all of this – you can't tell me you never thought about settling down. Raising a family. Having kids?"

"Where did this come from all of a sudden?" asked Fox.

"I'm tired, bored and genuinely curious." stated Wolf. "I know you had at least one girlfriend – sorry to bring that up again – and I can't imagine that you never considered settling down and taking a break."

"I don't see me hanging up my hat anytime soon. Even if I did find someone, I don't think I could find the time for a family – at least not yet. I remember how busy Dad used to get. I loved my father, but he was away more often than he was home. It was rough for a kid." noted Fox.

Wolf seemed to start to drift into a nap. He sighed deeply. "You ever think a guy like me could find some sort of redemption?"

"I think in many ways you already have." noted Fox.

"Everything I've done to date, I've done for selfish reasons. Even the things you keep telling me were heroic. I usually did them because it benefited me in some way. Up until recently, I've made a lot of bad decisions." continued Wolf.

"What's brought this on?" asked Fox.

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Since the Blitz. Since maybe even before that. I keep thinking about what could have been if things have gone differently. I wonder if things could have been better." Wolf lamented.

"No time like the present." stated Fox, repeating his earlier sentiment.

Wolf looked at him. It was an intense look that Fox couldn't read. Something was going on in Wolf's head and Fox wasn't sure what it was.

"Once a pirate, always a pirate. My father's legacy." shrugged Wolf.

"You haven't done anything _illegal_ in some time." noted Fox. "Last I checked, mercenaries could make an honest living."

Wolf didn't answer.

"So, what are we now, you and I?" asked Fox.

Wolf perked up. "What do you mean?"

"When we first met, we were on opposite sides of a conflict. Then, you came at me for revenge. Things seemed to have mellowed – we've fought on the same side even if our goals were different. Now that you and I have actually talked. Now that we've gone through all of this together are we just going to be rivals again if we live through this?" asked Fox.

"You want me to not try to shoot you next time I see you?" asked Wolf. "Even if, after all this, I go back to being a pirate?"

"I just thought –" started Fox.

"– we were friends now?" continued Wolf.

Fox wasn't sure what he had hoped for, but after all this time he had come to enjoy the company of someone he could relate to – even if it was an old rival. He looked back from the fire at Wolf who was now leaning back with his forearm over his eyes.

"Are we still rivals then? Do I still have to watch my back with you?" asked Fox.

"Look, I'm tired. Let's just get some rest." Wolf sighed.

Fox was disappointed in the lack of a straight answer.

"What do you think?" whispered Wolf.

"I think it's been nice to have someone I could relate to. I think that deep down you're a decent person." noted Fox.

Wolf turned away from Fox and sighed. "You're cute."

Fox gave up on trying to get a straight answer and decided to get some rest. Wolf tried to take a quick nap himself but instead found himself too bothered by Fox's questions.

#

Krystal walked into the hangar bay of the Great Fox to find Falco. He was working away on his fighter – the Sky Claw – a modified Arwing fighter of his own design. She approached him with a stern look. Falco suspected he knew what was coming.

"What gives?" asks Krystal.

Falco was guessing that Krystal had taken objection to his attitude. He had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since she arrived with Panther. He knew he was at fault but hated to admit he let his emotions get the best of him again.

"About?" he asked with full knowledge of the answer.

"Ever since I've stepped aboard this ship, you've been acting like I've slighted you. I get that you and Panther were rivals at one time, but if we're going to find Fox – if things go south – we need to work together." she stated.

"Alright, alright, geez." groaned Falco. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just, you should have seen him Krystal. Before he was taken I mean. Fox was miserable."

"And that's somehow my fault?" said Krystal, "Fox is an adult… usually… and he and I haven't been in a relationship in a long time."

"Look, I know that. It's just… I wish you had been here to help cheer him up. I'd hate to think the last time we saw him, he was…" continued Falco. "Look, I can't pretend to know what was going on with him, I just hated seeing him like that. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm sorry."

"Alright," said Krystal, "apology accepted."

"And I'm sorry I was a jerk to your boyfriend." said Falco, rolling his eyes slightly.

"We're just recently got back together. And look, I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was bringing him. He wants to help. He _has_ been helping." insisted Krystal.

"Yeah, I know." said Falco, apologetically.

He closed a panel on the Sky Claw and cleaned the oil from his hands.

"So what do you think we're going to find on Venom?" asked Krystal.

"I don't know." said Falco. "It could be bad. I've never seen Peppy so nervous."

"Venom only recently signed a treaty with Corneria and it's been thriving since they deployed the terraforming device. The growth on that planet has been astounding." noted Krystal, "But at the same time, President Bowman is related to Andross. What if he's looking to follow in his grandfather's footsteps?"

"We could be walking into a trap." said Falco. "Or we could end up starting another war. And this ship… she's not like the old Great Fox. This thing won't hold out in a firefight."

"Peppy's been in touch with Captain Bill Grey of the Cornerian Army. He's asked Bill to rendezvous with us just in case."

"My old buddies, the Hot Rodders are meeting us there too." Falco noted. "Going to be quite the reunion." Falco started to reminisce of his time with the Hot Rodders before he had joined Star Fox. The current leader, Katt, was also friends with Fox and he knew he could count on her and her team to help find him. Still, it wasn't his intention to drag them into a possible conflict with Venom.

"Let's just hope we don't need them." noted Krystal.

#

Fox and Wolf had managed to dry off somewhat and get enough rest to consider moving onwards. Both of them were feeling worse for wear. Wolf was feeling exhausted after nearly drowning in the river and was only barely able to outpace Fox whose injury was still slowing him down. Drone ships had begun passing with increased frequency the closer they got to the colony and they wanted to continue moving for as long as they could.

Eventually they lost daylight and exhaustion took over. They set their gear down and each nearly collapsed.

"We're so close." lamented Fox. "I can see lights from the colony from here."

"Just means we're going to have to be that much more careful." noted Wolf as he dug out a few rations and some water.

They had been lucky enough to find plenty of fruit and fresh water on their trek, but their supply of rations was nearly exhausted and neither had the energy to forage. Starting a fire was going to be too risky with so many looking for them and they prepared for a cool night.

"You ever find a girl? I mean, I get that there probably weren't many lady pirates." noted Fox.

"Oh, there were plenty of lady pirates I can tell you that much…" laughed Wolf.

"And none of them?" asked Fox.

"What brought this on?" asked Wolf. "Are you wondering if I'm available?"

"You know about me and Krystal. Seems unfair that I know nothing about the sordid love life of the great Lord O'Donnell." joked Fox.

"Not much to speak of." noted Wolf. "I have no time for women."

"Men?" Fox asked, with a sly grin.

Wolf scowled at him.

"Look, I'm genuinely curious. You've been carrying on all this time and I just gotta know..." said Fox with a sheepish grin. "… are you into girls or guys."

"Which one of these is going to make the walk to the colony the least uncomfortable?" asked Wolf, leaning back.

"Or both?" continued Fox. "Or neither?" he pried.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation." Wolf sighed.

"I promise nothing you say can make me uncomfortable." grinned Fox. "I mean, not about your love life."

"Oh, you really don't want to bet on that." Wolf said, rolling his eyes.

Something about shattering the image of Wolf as a roguish ladies man amused Fox more than it should have.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." said Fox as he tried to get comfortable enough to sleep.

"Why _did_ you ask?" Wolf noted.

"Just wanted to get to know you better." Fox admitted.

"You really _are_ adorable." said Wolf.

"If we survive this, I know a really nice cafe..." said Fox with a grin.

"Get some rest, Fox." stated Wolf.

#

The Great Fox came to a halt at a fair distance away from Venom.

"Why are we stopping here, Peppy?" asked Falco.

"We need ta know what we're getting into." noted Peppy. He didn't want to charge the fragile Great Fox into a battle. The ship wouldn't last long if it was a trap. "ROB, I want long range scans of Venom."

"Scanning" replied ROB.

The crew of the Great Fox waited anxiously for the results. A large, somewhat grainy image of Venom was soon projected on the main view screen. On it could be seen the warship, docked in the construction platform. Peppy's suspicions were confirmed.

"Whoa." cried Slippy. "The main cannon on that thing… it's huge. It has to be –"

"It's the ship that destroyed Sargasso Station!" exclaimed Panther.

"What do we do, Peppy?" asked Krystal.

"That thing's gonna rip us apart if we we get into a fight with it." said Falco with a worried expression.

Peppy gritted his teeth. He knew Dash wasn't being truthful. What else was he hiding? Did he kidnap Fox?

"We talk." said Peppy in an uncharacteristically angry tone. "ROB, request a communication channel with President Dash Bowman."

"Affirmative" noted ROB.

"Uh, Peppy, if they turn on us..." noted Falco.

"I know." said Peppy. "We can't outrun it if it decides to chase us down. Slippy, keep a very, very close eye on that warship. If it so much as looks like it's about to move, let us know immediately."

Slippy gulped and nodded.

"Channel open" stated ROB.

President Bowman's face appeared on the main view screen for all to see. He looked emotionless.

"Hello again General Hare. I see you've got the whole crew here. It's good to see you all." said Dash.

Panther made a move to speak but Krystal grabbed his arm and shook her head. None of them dared do anything to instigate a conflict and she knew that Panther was likely furious at the prospect of Dash being involved in the annihilation of Sargasso Station. It was a feeling she shared.

"I see you have quite the warship there." noted Peppy.

"Yes. I never claimed otherwise." clarified Dash. He was right. He had simply refused to give Peppy a straight answer. "Now what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for Captain Fox McCloud. Your friend and mine." insisted Peppy. "I am requesting permission for my crew to search Venom."

"I've told you, he's not here." said Dash.

"Are you _sure_?" asked Peppy, trying not to come off too accusatory.

Dash paused and thought for a moment. He looked back at Peppy. "Fine, you may look for our friend. I don't expect you'll find him here, but I owe Fox as much."

"Thank you, Dash." said Peppy.

Dash gave a partial grin and closed the communication channel.

"That went better than I expected." noted Falco.

Peppy nodded. "ROB, take us in close to the planet but keep a good distance from that warship. Slippy, keep monitoring it for anythin' suspicious. Falco, Panther and Krystal – get your ships ready. Once we're close, you can head out and take a fly-by of the planet's surface."

"What are we looking for?" asked Panther.

"Anything." said Peppy.

#

On the warship, Andrew Oikonny sat in his command chair sweating bullets. He had just been informed of the Great Fox's approach into the system and of their communication with Dash. He knew they had come looking for Fox and he could only guess at what else they knew.

"Star Fox." Andrew seethed. How he hated Star Fox. "What's our status?" Andrew asked.

"Core coolant system is still being repaired." a crewman replied. "The warp system and main cannon are offline until they are fixed."

Andrew tapped his fingers on the side of his chair.

"Have the drones found any sign of Fox McCloud or Wolf O'Donnell?" he asked.

"Investigation of the downed fighter has found nothing of note. We have begun searching the area between the fighter and the colony." stated the crewman.

"Good. Redouble your efforts. They must be somewhere between the two." stated Andrew. He couldn't help but feel that he was close to finding them. Now he had to find them before Star Fox could. He had ensured that the cargo ship he had used to abduct Fox was hidden far away from the planet – that much at least was done – and it could take Star Fox days to track down their comrade if they could do it at all.

"What is the status of our on-board drone fighters." asked Andrew.

"All fighters are operational."

"And the The Carrion Crab?" asked Andrew. The Carrion Crab was Andrew's backup plan – a ground assault vehicle that he had intended to use to carve his way into Dash's headquarters and take control of the planet.

"The Carrion Crab ground assault vessel is fully fueled and armed." one of the men stated.

Andrews fallback plan was ready. If Star Fox beat him to the punch – if they forced his hand – he would overwhelm them and launch a direct attack on Venom itself. It was not what he wanted – not yet – but once Venom was his he could consolidate his power and then launch the attack on Corneria. It would be a shame to no longer have Dash's genius to support him and help motivate the people of Venom, but if Dash became aware of his intentions to wage war on the galaxy he would put an end to Andrew's plans immediately. His fallback plan was sound though. In the end, victory would be his.

#

A few hours had passed and the crew of the Great Fox had found no signs of their colleague. Worse, the looming shadow of the warship had made everyone nervous.

"Odd" said Slippy as he poured over multiple screens and scanners.

"What is?" asked General Peppy.

"That warship… the heat scans of that thing are all out of whack. Its core is huge but it's also giving off way more heat than it should. I'm also not picking up any energy coming from either their engine or main weapon."

"Meaning?" asked Peppy.

"I think it's damaged." noted Slippy. "Or, at least it's having some technical problems. That core is dangerously hot. If they even tried to fire up the engines they would likely cause the core to overheat and completely rupture."

"Well, that's some good news at least." said Peppy somewhat relieved.

"Receiving a communication request from Panther and the Black Rose." noted ROB.

"Put it through." noted Peppy. "Link in the others."

"This is Panther to the Great Fox."

"Did you find something, Panther?" asked Peppy.

"You could say that." stated Panther. There was a very worried tone to his voice. "I have found a downed ship. A Wolfen starfighter. More specifically _the_ Wolfen starfighter – The Redfang. It belongs to Wolf O'Donnell."

"Wolf's here?" exclaimed Peppy. "Looks like his disappearance wasn't just a coincidence."

"It gets worse. There's no sign of Wolf, but there's plenty of dry blood in the cockpit. There's no damage to the cockpit's exterior suggesting that Wolf was bleeding when he got in." noted Panther. "There's no sign of him nearby but there are some recent tracks here too. Someone beat me here."

"Keep looking." noted Peppy. "Wolf's presence here can't be a coincidence."

"He was supposed to be working for this 'Admiral' guy wasn't he?" asked Falco over the comm. "Do you supposed it's the Admiral of Venom's army?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinkin'." noted Peppy, "And I would bet you that this Admiral guy is on that there warship."

#

Down on the planet, Fox and Wolf were continuing their trek towards the colony. Each was exhausted but knowing how close they were to their desitnation was filling them with renewed energy. Drone ships were still very frequent and warranted caution.

"Fox," asked Wolf, "what if Dash is in on this?"

Fox wasn't sure how to answer. Dash had to have noticed the drones. They could have been launched on his command. He couldn't fathom Dash approving of any of it though. They had been friends at one time and he had never known Dash to be a malicious person.

"If we get to the colony, we could be walking right into their hands." said Wolf.

Fox knew he was right.

Just then, the two of them heard an engine slightly different than those they had heard before. They both knew exactly what it was. It was an Arwing – or a variant of an Arwing. Wolf dug through his gear for the binoculars while Fox scanned the sky. The silhouette was unmistakable. An Arwing with large, forward-swept wings. It was the Sky Claw. It was Falco's ship.

"It's Falco!" exclaimed Fox. He waved but the ship would not see them in the cover of the trees.

"Are you sure?" asked Wolf.

"Yeah, it's him! Star Fox is nearby!" Fox cheered.

With that, a blaster bolt flew passed Fox's head and struck a nearby tree. The two froze. They looked over their shoulder to see two of Andrew's robot soldiers coming through the woods in their direction. They both dove for cover.

"Oh, great timing." said Wolf, pulling out the blaster they had stolen during their original escape. He switched it on and flipped its settings to maximum. The weapon let out a whirr and went silent.

Wolf cursed. The weapon had gotten wet when he had been pulled underwater and must have shorted out as a result. They had nothing to defend themselves with. They had come so close and yet they had neither the weapons nor the physical energy or strength to overcome Andrew's robots. Drops of rain started to fall from the sky – it had been threatening to rain for quite some time. It seemed now that even the heavens knew how hopeless things might have become.

A few more bolts were fired in their direction. A tree near Fox cracked and split after being struck and he rolled over to join Wolf under better cover.

"Thoughts?" asked Fox.

"The rain's getting heavier." noted Wolf. "It might provide us some better cover. Other than that, I don't have anything in mind. These things are strong and they are shooting to kill."

The situation seemed desperate. They would have to come up with a plan. Fox leaned over to judge the position of the approaching enemy when he heard a loud pop not unlike the nose made by their robot jailer when they struck him with the improvised stun gun back on the warship. After the second pop, he and Wolf both risked taking a look.

The robots were sturdy, but they were made for conditions in space. It appeared that they were far from waterproof and had begun shorting out in the rain. They tumbled, one after the other, and fell to the ground motionless.

"Finally some damned luck." sighed Wolf.

In the distance, Fox noticed a large metallic object. He motioned to Wolf and then darted off in its direction. It was a shuttle – the shuttle the robots had used to land. It was empty but operational. They ran inside, overwhelmed with a feeling of relief.

"It… it has manual controls!" Fox exclaimed.

"And a working communication system!" Wolf cheered.

Fox immediately opened a channel to the Sky Claw in hopes that Falco was still nearby.

"Falco? Falco are you still there?" asked Fox over the communication system.

"Fox? Is that you?" cried Falco.

"Yeah, it's Fox. Listen, we've just borrowed a Venomian shuttle not far from you. Is the Great Fox nearby?"

"Yeah," said Falco with relief, "Everyone's here looking for you."

"Listen, Falco. Contact the Great Fox. Get some distance put between it and that warship up there. It's being captained by Andrew Oikonny. He calls himself Admiral Oikonny now." said Fox.

"And what are you going to do?" asked Falco.

"I'm going to take this shuttle and meet with you. In the mean time I'm also going to try to contact Dash Bowman and let him know what Andrew's been up to." said Fox. "And then hopefully Dash can get Andrew to surrender."

#


	6. Chapter 6 - Conflicting Visions

Chapter VI

Conflicting Visions

"Admiral!" said one of Andrew's crewmen.

"What is it?" asked Andrew. He was slumped over in his chair waiting desperately on news of Fox's sighting or capture.

"The Great Fox is moving way from us and into low orbit. It seems to be meeting up with one of _our_ shuttles." said the crewmen.

Andrew could only assume what the news implied.

"Sir, we're being hailed by President Bowman!" notified another crewman. Andrew's fear worsened.

Dash Bowman's face appeared on the view screen. Andrew knew instantly that Dash was made aware of his attempt to capture and kill Fox and he likely also knew that he had planned to attack both Corneria and Venom.

"I thought I could trust you." stated Dash with only a hint of anger.

"What do you mean?" asked Andrew innocently.

"You kidnapped Fox McCloud and you planned to turn our warship against Corneria and against Venom itself." noted Dash. "I had assumed I could trust family to see my vision through. I guess I was wrong."

"So what do you intend to do about it?" conceded Andrew.

"I'm placing you under arrest." noted Dash.

"You and what army?" said Andrew with a menacing grin.

"You know fully well what army." said Dash. Dash had manufactured a significant number of robot soldiers and automated defenses. He had wished to keep Venom safe but also to prevent any loss of life in the process. He had believed that an automated army would bet the best way to keep the planet secure and allow the populace to enjoy a peaceful life.

"Yes, I do," said Andrew, pushing commands into a keypad on his chair, "and I've taken the liberty of ensuring that your automated fighters and weaponry could all be overridden by this warship. You have nothing, Dash, and by the time you've figured out how to regain control of your systems it will be far too late. I will see you soon, former President."

The channel closed just as Dash attempted to bargain with Andrew.

"Well then, I guess plan B it is." said Andrew. "Prepare to launch the drones and ready The Carrion Crab."

#

The shuttle set down inside the Great Fox's hangar bay with three other starfighters entering just behind it. Fox and Wolf disembarked from their stolen craft to the sight of many relieved faces. Both of them looked to be on the verge of collapse – tired, damp and covered in dirt, blood and stains. Exhaustion was written over every inch of them.

"Oh, Fox! We were so worried!" cried Krystal with tears in her eyes as she ran from her starfighter. She gave Fox a warm hug. He winced in pain from his injury and his sore muscles but felt relieved to be home. He noticed Wolf look away sheepishly. Wiping away a tear, Krystal looked over at Wolf as well and gave a warm smile. "Wolf!" she cried, "I'm so glad to see your safe." Regardless of their past history, Krystal had managed to befriend Wolf and could only hope he wasn't still sore with her after she had left the Star Wolf team years ago.

"Well, I had to pull this guy's butt out of the fire again." gloated Wolf halfheartedly.

"You both look like like you have had a very rough time." noted Panther.

"I have no doubt there's a huge story to tell here." said Falco, glancing at Wolf with suspicion. "I'd love to know how the two of you crossed paths without killing each other."

"No time for stories yet." noted Fox with urgency. "Andrew is planning to attack Venom. If his warship is in any way operational then Venom is in trouble. We have to stop him."

Static echoed through the hanger from the intercom. It was Peppy. "Team, I hate to break up the reunion but I have some good news and some bad news. Good news is, Captain Bill Grey and the Bulldog Squadron have made it here in the Hound's Tooth – a Cornerian assault carrier. Bad news is, Andrew is on the move. There's a swarm of drones heading our way and a large landing craft broke away from the warship and is now heading to the planet's surface."

Fox glanced around for his Arwing which had been safely stowed in the hangar after his abduction. "Let's go stop Andrew." commanded Fox.

Krystal grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him back around to face her. "No. You and Wolf stay here. Neither of you look like you're in any shape to fight."

Wolf scoffed. Fox looked at Krystal and gave a smile. "We'll be fine. We're going to need everyone if we're going to stop Andrew."

Krystal relented. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop him.

"Peppy, Wolf's going be flying your Arwing. I hope you don't mind." said Fox.

"Wolf, eh? Welcome aboard, Captain O'Donnell. Just bring it back on one piece." noted Peppy.

"Let's go!" said Fox, marching towards his Arwing.

Everyone watched for a moment as Fox, despite his exhaustion and injury, headed towards his Arwing with confidence. Panther wandered towards his old colleague and tapped him on the arm.

"Wolf," said Panther with concern "are you both really well enough to fly?"

Wolf didn't want to worry anyone anymore than he had to but he had his doubts – about his own skills and certainly about Fox's. Neither of them were in good shape. "Even when I'm not at the top of my game, I'm still better than most pilots out there." Wolf gloated. It seemed to ease Panther's concerns and Wolf started to head towards Peppy's Arwing.

Peppy watched from the bridge as a swarm of drone ships poured from the warship. He had fired up what few weapons the Great Fox had. Captain Bill Grey's face was now on the main view screen and Peppy had briefed him on the current situation. He felt a lot more comfortable knowing they weren't going to be alone.

"I'm glad you made it." noted Peppy.

"Bulldog Squadron will scramble our fighters. We'll provide cover for the Great Fox where we can, but you should keep that old boat back from the heat." noted Bill.

Peppy nodded. The Great Fox wasn't nearly the ship its predecessor was. For rescue missions and delivery, the large ship was ideal. In a battle, it was practically a liability. "Remind me when this is done to find Fox a better ship." he said to no one in particular.

"Incoming communication from president Bowman." stated ROB.

The view screen switched to Dash's image.

"Peppy, I need help. Andrew is aboard some kind of war machine heading towards the government offices. He's taken control of our automated defense system. We are nearly helpless down here." pleaded Dash.

"Dash, we're always happy to help an old friend." said Peppy, still somewhat perturbed over Dash's secrecy, "We'll talk about Star Fox's fees later."

"Understood." said Dash. "My ground forces will do what they can to slow that thing down."

Peppy nodded. He had an idea. It wasn't a terribly good one, but he felt it was the most surefire way to stop the ground assault vehicle and prevent the battle from drawing out longer than Star Fox could handle.

#

Above the planet, Star Fox and their allies had started to engage the enemy. The drones proved to be far more capable then anyone could have expected but they still fared poorly when matched against living pilots with years of experience. Still, the drones had numbers on their side and everyone was kept on their toes.

The team had broken off into pairs to divide and conquer with the Bulldog Squadron providing additional support. The warship itself hung nearby ominously.

"Guys, this isn't good." noted Falco as he and Slippy coordinated their attack. "If we can't thin these drones out a bit, they're going to swarm us."

"They may be drones, but since they have no concern weather they live or die they are able to fly straight at us without fear." said Panther as his starfighter and Krystal's each zipped between a small swarm of drones.

He was right. The drone ships had taken to charging the fighters head on in near kamikaze-like attacks. It took each pilot's full concentration to simply avoid being struck by passing fighters.

Suddenly bright flashes cut across the skies. Bill's Cornerian Carrier – The Hound's Tooth – had begun to engage the enemy. Its short range lasers were able to cut paths into the enemy drones and pull them off of the smaller fighters. Meanwhile Fox caught a glimpse of the Great Fox descending into the atmosphere.

"Peppy, what are you doing?" asked Fox. He watched as a small swarm of drones head towards the older ship. He immediately broke from the battle to try to engage them.

"Fox, Andrew is on the planet in a large ground-based war machine." said Peppy. "Dash can't stop him. The Great Fox's torpedoes are useless against these drones but they may be able to stop Andrew."

"Peppy, a squadron of drones is heading your way." said Falco as he too noticed the Great Fox descending towards Venom, "They're going to tear the Great Fox apart before it can break atmo."

Wolf immediately directed his Arwing towards Star Fox's old carrier. "Fox, let's keep the heat off of that ship and help it get to Andrew."

"Right." agreed Fox as he continued to head towards the carrier and started to open fire on the drones that had pursued it.

Wolf's Arwing closed the distance and also began to open fire on the pursuing drones. His motives in helping the Great Fox were personal. He wanted to see Andrew crushed and if that meant playing escort to the old carrier, he would do exactly that.

Even without Fox and Wolf, the remaining fighters were able to make headway with continued fire from Bill's larger carrier. It looked as though they would soon be able to break off and help Peppy take the battle to the ground. Just as the team felt confident that the fight was theirs, the warship sprang to life. It broke free of the construction platform and its secondary weapons began seeking out targets.

"No, no, no!" cried Slippy. "Guys, we have a big problem!"

"Everyone, take evasive action!" ordered Falco. "Bill, that warship is online! Get your carrier out of here!"

The warship opened fire from its numerous secondary weapons. The small fighters were able to evade the opening salvo but the larger Hound's Tooth carrier took a fair number of hits. It started to pull back from the fight and in doing so opened the path for the drones to once again focus on the rest of the smaller fighters.

"Falco, this is really bad." noted Krystal, narrowly avoiding two drones as they tore past her, pelting her ship with laser fire.

"Slippy, is that warship's main cannon online?" asked Falco.

"No. No activity from the main gun. I don't think that ship is fully online." noted Slippy.

"Just online enough to kill us all." said Panther.

"Everyone, get in close to the warship but keep clear of the path of those guns. Let's make a bombing run and try to knock out as many of those cannons as we can and maybe they'll take out some of their own drones while they try to shoot at us." noted Falco.

"Falco, the Bulldog Squadron's Corellian fighters will cover you." noted Bill.

"Thanks, just keep The Hound's Tooth clear until we can take a few of these cannons offline." said Falco. The situation was desperate and Falco felt that buying time for Peppy to stop Andrew was the best and only thing they could do.

#

On approach to the planet's surface, Fox and Wolf had managed to pick off the drones in pursuit of the Great Fox. The bright, sunny day on the surface was a stark contrast to the battle that had broken out. Down below, a large crab-like ground assault vessel was cutting through the exterior of the colony's main government building.

"Come on out Dash!" laughed Andrew maniacally, "The quicker you surrender, the less of this colony I'll have to tear apart to find you."

Ground troops were firing at the mechanical crab but small arms fire did nothing to scratch the war machine. Andrew simply swept them away with a claw and then proceeded to tear giant holes into the government building.  
"It's a crab." noted Wolf plainly. "It's a giant crab. Andrew certainly has a thing for gaudy war machines."

Wolf pushed his Arwing to its top speed with Fox trailing behind. Fox could feel the fight taking its toll on him but he wasn't going to back down until the fight was won. He knew the same held true for Wolf. Both Arwings tore into Andrew's ship with a solid salvo of weapons fire and each dropped a carefully planned bomb in hopes of doing some damage.

The crab ship recoiled but didn't fall. It had hardly been scratched. Andrew looked up from his cockpit and grinned. He knew it was Fox and Wolf piloting the two Arwings and welcomed the chance to killing them both. The crab opened up a giant claw to reveal a series of missiles tucked away. He fired two shots and each tracked a separate Arwing. Fox and Wolf each tried to shake one of the missiles and eventually had their Arwings cross paths. The perusing missiles collided with each other and detonated.

Andrew seethed and readied another round. As he looked up, he caught the view of an object slightly obscured by the light of the sun. As it approached, he quickly realized what it was – it was the Great Fox and it was heading straight for him.

On the bridge, Peppy watched impatiently as the carrier tried to get a precise lock on Andrew's ship. He had the Great Fox's torpedoes armed and ready but it would require absolute precision to drop a torpedo in atmosphere and strike Andrew without doing major damage to the surrounding area.

"Peppy to President Bowman," Peppy commanded over the communications channel, "we're going to try to take that thing out. Get everyone clear of that crab."

"Understood" said Dash, "We've already begun evacuating staff and civilians.

Andrew's fingers hammered at his console as he tried to come up with a plan to take out the Great Fox. He grinned as a large swarm of drone ships flew past him and engaged the carrier. He suspected a well placed salvo of weapons fire from the drones would likely take the carrier down before it had a chance to do any damage. They concentrated their fire on the front of the ship. A plume of smoke erupted from the hull of the Great Fox. Warnings and klaxons erupted throughout the bridge.

"Fox, we can't take another hit like that. Get those ships off of me." said Peppy.

The two Arwings took after the drones and began shooting them down one-by-one. The Great Fox drew slowly closer to Andrew's war machine.

"Targeting system alignment has been compromised." stated ROB as the robot aided Peppy in piloting towards their foe. "Recommend retreat."

"Keep going, I can do this without the damned targeting system!" Peppy commanded.

Andrew's crab ship opened another claw. A salvo of missiles erupted from it. For Peppy, it was now or never. If the missiles found their target, the Great Fox would be destroyed. He had to fire before the missiles hit.

"Fire!" commanded Peppy. Two torpedoes shot forth from the Great Fox. They lobbed forward at an arc having never been meant to be fired in the atmosphere. Still, the torpedoes were on target. They would make their mark. Wolf and Fox's Arwings shot past the carrier and opened fire on the incoming missiles detonating a large portion of the salvo before they could strike the ship.

"No!" shouted Andrew as the torpedoes flew directly towards him. These were not the bombs the Arwing's had dropped without effect – the torpedoes from a carrier like the Great Fox were meant to take out other large ships. They carried a blast that would surely do significant damage. He had no weapons available to take them out in time. Andrew raised up the crab ship's claws to protect the cockpit but the torpedoes struck hard and the war machine was engulfed in an explosion. Parts of the craft flew in every direction. There was no doubt it had taken damage.

The Great Fox had also received more damage than it could take. Another plume of smoke erupted from the hull and another series of warnings lit up on the bridge.

"Navigational systems failing. Suborbital stabilization systems failing. Weapon systems offline. Fire suppression system engaged." noted ROB in a calculated robotic tone devoid of worry or panic. "The Great Fox will make ground impact in five minutes."

Peppy sat back in his chair. There was nothing more he could do but hope to survive the crash.

"Status of Andrew's war machine?" he asked.

"War machine has been disabled." noted ROB.

Peppy grinned. "Well Fox, looks like you really are going to need a new ship." he said as the Great Fox continued a steady descent.

#

Far above Venom, the desperate battle continued. The Star Fox team had managed to take out a few of the warship's weapons, but many more were still functional and firing at both the starfighters and the distant carrier ship. The Hound's Tooth itself had unleashed several volleys of missiles and torpedoes, but the defenses and thick hull of the warship prevented serious damage.

"This isn't good, Falco." said Krystal. Her starfighter had taken a few bad hits and she could feel the ship becoming less and less responsive from the damage.

"Slippy, tell me you can find a weakness we can exploit." said Falco.

"I've been trying, Falco." said Slippy. He ran his fingers across his console while trying desperately to avoid weapons fire from drones and from the warship.

"Falco, we need to pull back." said Panther.

"If we do, we might buy that ship enough time to get its main cannon back online. Then we'll be in real trouble." said Falco. He needed to figure out how to take out the warship, but there was no way they could do it with what few starfighters they had.

"Falco! I'm hit!" said Slippy. His Bullfrog Arwing starfighter had taken a hit from one of the main cannons and a plume of smoke was trailing behind it. The damage wasn't severe, but the Arwing couldn't take much more.

"We have to pull back!" exclaimed Panther.

Falco hated to agree. Just as he was about to give the command, he noticed another ship and set of fighters approaching. "Negative, Panther. Looks like reinforcements are here!"

A small assault carrier began opening fire on the warship while its three starfighter escort broke away and began to engage the drones.

"Hey folks, sorry we're late." announced a female voice over the communication system.

"Katt!" exclaimed Falco. Falco's old friend Katt Munroe and her Hot Rodder squadron had agreed to meet up but Falco had all but given up hope on their arrival. "Am I ever happy to see you!"

The Hot Rodders' carrier, The Reprisal, swooped in and opened fire on the warship. Bolstered by the additional support, The Hound's Tooth also veered in closer to the enemy. The pressure eased off, but The Overseer was still a full fledged warship and more than a match for two carriers and a small supplement of fighters.

"Falco," said Slippy, his fighter still trailing white smoke, "the warship is still running hot. They are using an emergency exhaust on the underbelly of the ship to vent the excess heat generated from the core now what they have fired up their secondary weapons."

"Meaning?" asked Falco.

"If we compromise that vent in any way, that ship will overheat. A well placed bomb should do it." noted Slippy.

Unfortunately, bombs were now few and far between. The team had used up their last ones in an attempt to take out the warship's cannons.

"You need a bombing run?" asked Katt, "Not a problem! My fighter has a smart bomb!"

"You heard Slippy, Katt. We have to hit that exhaust vent." said Falco. "Everyone, provide Katt with what cover you can!"

Katt flew her disk shaped starfighter – the Cat's Paw – underneath the warship, dodging drones and weapons fire. She had only one smart bomb on board, but that was all she needed. Katt hit the target effortlessly and a white-hot fireball erupted from the vent.

"Will that do it, Slippy?" asked Falco nervously.

"50/50" said Slippy.

"50/50!?" Falco exclaimed.

"Well, we might have collapsed it. We might have widened it and provided more ventilation. Time will tell." noted Slippy.

"Aw, geez, why did you tell me that?" asked Falco, somewhat perturbed.

"You asked me for a weakness – that's the only one I could find under fire." stated Slippy apologetically.

The momentary distraction lead to Falco's ship taking a couple hits along the wing. They were better pilots than the drones but they were getting worn down quickly and the cannon fire was not helping.

"Falco! Heat aboard the warship is climbing rapidly!" exclaimed Slippy.

"Everyone, pull back!" said Falco. "If that thing blows we don't want to be near it!"

As before, the ship simply stuttered and the weapons halted. The drones again lost power and started to drift as the warship's systems overheated and failed.

"Alright, let's bring this sucker down!" said Falco.

Both cruisers and the entire compliment of fighters opened fire and tore into the ship. Chunks of hull began to break away.

Suddenly, a portion of the hull buckled outwards. Pieces of metal popped and cracked. The side of the hull ruptured like a balloon as energy from the core blew out of the ship, tearing it in two. The combined team of fighters gave a cheer. Corneria would be safe.

#

Wolf landed his Arwing near Andrew's crab ship. It collided with the ground recklessly and the cockpit flew open even before the fighter came to a stop. Wolf jumped out of the craft with steely resolve. He marched towards Andrew's crashed war machine and scowled in the direction of the crab ship's still-intact cockpit. From a pocket he drew out the sharpened screwdriver he had hung onto for so long. He was going to make Andrew pay. He was going to end Andross' legacy with his own hands.

Andrew was fighting with his vehicle's controls doing everything he could to get it to respond. Sparks cracked around him and smoke billowed from the console. Wolf climbed the side of the crab ship, made his way to the cockpit and gave it a solid kick.

"Come on out Andrew." he said with menace. Filthy and disheveled, Wolf looked like a man posessed. He knelt down to look his enemy in the eye. He revealed the sharpened screwdriver and looked at Andrew with a vicious grin on his face. "We have some unfinished business to talk about, you son of a -"

"Stop!" yelled a familiar voice.

Wolf stood upright and looked down at Fox. He gave him a cold stare.

"Look, Andrew's done. We stopped him. He's not going anywhere. If you kill him now, it would just be murder." pleaded Fox.

"I told you I was going to kill him." noted Wolf without the slightest inflection in his voice.

"Don't do this." pleaded Fox.

"Are you going to stop me?" asked Wolf without hint of emotion. "If he lives, he'll go to prison – here, on Venom, under the supervision of his _cousin_. How long will he stay there, do you think? How long before he's released? Escapes? How long before he comes after you again for revenge?" Wolf never raised his voice. He simply presented the facts.

"Then we'll stop him again." said Fox.

"Forever? Andross' legacy has to come to an end." Wolf pleaded. "Think about your father. Think about all of the people these madmen have hurt or killed."

"And what will happen to you if you kill President Bowman's cousin in cold blood?" Fox asked.

"Maybe someone will finally put my legacy to bed too," said Wolf, "or maybe I'll kill Dash and make sure the whole family tree has been uprooted."

"I'm not going to let that happen." said Fox, "I don't want see you throw your life away just to get revenge on Andrew of all people."

Wolf looked at him, conflicted, then looked at Andrew with anger. A swell of grief overcame him and his eye began to water but he released the screwdriver. It struck the hull of the war machine and clanged down to the ground.

Just then, Fox and Wolf heard footsteps running towards them. They were surrounded by Venom's forces – guns raised in their direction.

"Wolf O'Donnell, you are under arrest." commanded one of the soldiers.

Fox had expected Dash's soldiers to arrive soon after Andrew's ship was incapacitated, but he expected cheers and not raised weapons.

"Hey now," exclaimed Fox, "we're the good guys here."

"We thank you for your services Captain McCloud, but Wolf O'Donnell is to be arrested under the charge of piracy." insisted one of the commanding officers.

Wolf looked at them with a disgusted expression. After throwing away his chance to kill Andrew he would find himself being arrested and thrown in prison – or worse.

"He was exonerated of his past crimes!" objected Fox.

"By Corneria. Not by Venom. Venom has no tolerance for pirates – past or present – under article 52 of President Bowman's anti-piracy law." clarified the solder.

"I'm sorry, Fox, but that's the way it is." said Dash as he walked up through the line of soldiers. "Thanks for all of your help though. You have saved Venom and saved my utopia. You truly are an amazing pilot and Peppy's sacrifice was not in vain."

Fox marched towards Dash but was stopped by a couple soldiers, their guns pointed in his direction.

"C'mon Dash – we saved you. _Wolf_ saved you. We stopped Andrew." insisted Fox.

"The law is the law. Once a pirate, always a pirate." Dash pointed out coldly. Wolf's ear twitched. It seemed his past would never be put behind him.

"Look, fine. We'll take him into our custody – Star Fox's custody." Fox insisted.

"I'm sorry, Fox, but you have no jurisdiction here and to rebuild Venom we must exorcise all of the darker elements of our past." insisted Dash.

Two soldiers guided Wolf down from the war machine at gunpoint while two others demanded Andrew exit his craft.

"My utopia will be safe from criminals. My people will live in peace, free from harm from pirates or outsiders. I'll make sure of it." insisted Dash.

"And your cousin?" asked Fox.

"He will be put on trial and dealt with accordingly." noted Dash.

"And that warship you handed him? The one that has the power to destroy an entire space station effortlessly – is that a weapon of peace?" asked Fox.

"Yes." stated Dash, "Power – even the threat of power – can be a potent tool to deter the evils of the universe and halt the forces that would prey on this new utopia."

Fox glared at him. He was shocked to hear Dash justify such a weapon.

"We've been through how many wars now, Fox?" continued Dash, "How many of them were resolved with ships and gunfire? How many of those conflicts were resolved because Star Fox and Corneria leveraged their might against it?"

Andrew descended from his Carrion Crab war machine and discreetly slipped a remote control out of his pocket. He gave a sly grin and brandished the remote about like a weapon. "Let's not get too hasty, now fellas! If I flick this switch, the core on this war machine will detonate. Should be enough of a charge to take out everyone here."

"You wouldn't." Dash said without any concern.

"You really think you have everyone figured out, don't you Dash? One button and I avenge uncle Andross. The mercenary who failed him again and again and he mercenary responsible for his death both gone. The ones responsible for Andross' murder will be vaporized." stated Andrew.

Wolf's ear twitched again and he gritted his teeth. He was once again put in a position of powerlessness by Andross' foolish nephew. Or was he?

"Screw you and your damned uncle!" exclaimed Wolf, taking a step towards Andrew. "Screw you and his damned legacy!"

"Stay back!" exclaimed Andrew, cowering.

The soldiers had all put their focus on Andrew and the remote. It was enough for Wolf to take a lunge towards a solider, disarm him, and with two quick button presses he fired a blast into Andrew.

Andrew yelped in pain as his muscles ceased up and he dropped the remote the ground. Every soldier instantly turned their attention to Wolf who immediately dropped the weapon and raised his hands. One of the other guards removed the remote from Andrew's possession.

"It was on stun. He'll live. He really wasn't worth it." said Wolf, regaining his composure.

Dash was speechless. Fox, on the other hand, took the opportunity to slip past the soldiers and grab Dash by the collar.

"That's twice! Twice he's stopped Andrew for you. He saved your life Dash. Now if you had any respect for me you'd trust my decision here. I'm taking Wolf. I'm taking Star Fox. We're leaving and you're letting us go." Fox snarled.

An expression of shock crossed Dash's face. He had never seen, or wanted to see, Fox so angry with him. It took a moment for him to regain composure. "Saved my life? Do you honestly think Andrew would have pushed that button?" asked Dash. He paused for a moment in thought. "Fine. Do what you will but I do not want to see either of you on my planet again."

Dash looked away from Fox. Fox released him, motioned towards Wolf and the two walked back towards their starfighters.

Wolf stopped. "I know you did it." he said, plainly.

Fox and Dash both turned to look at him.

"I realized it a few moments ago. That warship... that weapon... you designed it, you built it, and you were the one who ordered it be tested on Sargasso Station." Wolf said. The only emotion he showed was a slight hint of sadness. There was no anger in his voice. He was far too exhausted for any of it. "You wanted to keep your planet safe, so you got proactive. You're smart like that. You wiped out a solid chunk of the galaxy's criminal element in a single blow. You killed so many people. You killed people I knew. You murdered them all to keep your planet safe."

"I did what had to be done. It wasn't an easy decision but I ran the simulations. As Venom grew in wealth, it would draw more and more criminals like those in the Sargasso Space Zone. I wasn't going to allow Venom to be conquered by mercenaries. I wasn't going to allow it to go back to the way it was. My decision was the right one. In the long run, it will be saving lives and reducing crime and misery throughout the galaxy." insisted Dash.

"Whatever. You're the genius. Your grandfather would be proud." Wolf said.

He turned his back to Dash and climbed into his fighter. "Let's go Fox." he said, visibly shaken, "I'm getting tired of this."

#

Aboard the Hound's Tooth, Fox disembarked from his craft and immediately proceeded to check on Wolf. Wolf hadn't said anything for the length of their trip back. The other members of Star Fox and Bulldog Squadron were also tending to their fighters – refueling and checking on any damages.

Fox stopped directly in front of Wolf and looked up at him. Wolf's good eye was bloodshot and Fox could only guess at what emotions Wolf had been battling.

"Look, Fox, I..." stuttered Wolf. To this point, he had always been at least composed even when he was angry. This was the first time he seemed like he was on the verge of coming apart.

Fox had no idea what to do so he simply gave Wolf a hug. Wolf was caught off guard and raised his arms in surprise but then relented and held onto Fox in return. He felt a calm wash over him. "That cafe you promised seems pretty nice..." he whispered with a slight smile.

The rest of the hangar bay had gone quiet as nearly every other person present caught sight of the two former rivals comforting each other.

"Uh..." noted Slippy, at a loss for words.

"Yeah." replied Falco. "I have no idea how I feel about this either."

#

Only a few days had passed and Peppy sat on the deck outside of his home on Corneria. He was on a short leave to recover from the injuries he suffered when he crashed the Great Fox on the surface of Venom. He was lucky to be alive and grateful for the victory. He bluntly refused to take an extended leave, however as the diplomatic ramifications of the events on Venom would take significant time to repair and he had already spent a considerable time writing reports and answering the Cornerian council's questions about the incident.

He sighed. He was wondering if he was truly getting too old for any of it but quickly dismissed the idea. He couldn't imagine things any other way.

He heard a knock at the door.

"Come in, it's open!" he said, looking back at the entryway.

Falco, Slippy, Panther and Krystal all walked in with armloads of gifts and food.

"What's all this?" asked Peppy.

"It's all to help you get better!" exclaimed Slippy with zeal.

"We thought you would like some meals picked up and the rest is mostly get well gifts from us and from the other squads." explained Falco.

"You didn't have to!" exclaimed Peppy with a smile. "My daughter Lucy was just by not long ago with a warm meal. Still, I'm sure I can use the leftovers!"

Slippy and Falco started loading the fridge and cupboards while Panther and Krystal helped Peppy unpack some of the parcels.

"No Fox?" asked Peppy.

"No, he's meeting someone at a cafe in town." said Krystal.

"A date?" asked Peppy.

"He's just meeting with Wolf" stated Panther.

"But I thought Wolf had left Corneria?"

"Yeah, well, he did for a bit." said Krystal. "Apparently he had someone retrieve his starfighter from Venom and he had it repaired. Still, he promised Fox that he'd meet up with him at a cafe today. It took me hours to convince him to go."

"Wolf isn't one to make friends easily – if at all. He is surprisingly cowardly when it comes to matters of friendship. He finds it difficult to trust others." stated Panther.

"So what's with the meet-up?" asked Peppy.

"Fox wanted to invite him to join Star Fox I think. We'll see how that goes." noted Krystal. "Still, it's been nice to see Fox in a good mood again. I hope it lasts."

Peppy smiled and nodded. "Well, he'll be quite upbeat indeed after I show him the ship I got him to replace the one I crashed. He really shouldn't let me fly his ships." laughed Peppy.

#

Fox sat in a small rooftop cafe in one of the quieter parts of the capital. The outdoor tables were a nice way to enjoy the sunny weather that the city had been getting. Fox couldn't help but feel optimistic but he also felt anxious. He looked over to the entrance to the cafe for what had to be the fifteenth time in as many minutes. This time, however, he saw Wolf O'Donnell being directed to his table by a nervous looking waitress. Wolf was dressed in civilian clothes – a jacket, t-shirt and jeans. You would almost never guess he was once the notorious pirate lord of the Sargasso Space Zone. Fox too was dressed fairly casually. His uniform was packed up for the time being. He wasn't here as Captain McCloud. He was here simply as a friend.

Wolf walked over and looked down at Fox who encouraged him to have a seat. Wolf seemed morose – a stark contrast to his usual boisterous demeanor.

"I didn't think you'd make it." noted Fox.

"I promised I'd come." said Wolf. "I almost didn't."

Fox felt a bit concerned at the insinuation.

"Look, Fox. I don't know if I can get used to all of this." Wolf clarified. He noticed a table nearby with two patrons staring intently at him. He shot them a vicious glare and they turned away.

"It's going to take some getting used to for everyone." said Fox. "You've got a pretty mixed reputation."

"You're still convinced that on the inside I'm just a diamond in the rough. You're so naive it hurts." said Wolf. There was no humor to his words. Wolf seemed very serious. Fox's heart sank.

"So, what are we?" Fox asked, continuing the conversation from what seemed like so long ago.

"You tell me." said Wolf, coldly.

"I –" Fox started.

"I knew I made a mistake in coming here." Wolf insisted. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I strung you along." Wolf had come to respect Fox and more importantly to think of him as a friend. The thought terrified him and he couldn't bring himself to believe anyone else would so willingly befriend him in return. He had been dismissed by family, double-crossed by allies and he had lived far too long among people no one dared trust.

Fox pulled a parcel up from under his seat and placed it on the table. Wolf looked down at it dismissively but Fox pushed it forward. Wolf relented and opened it.

"What's this?" he said, pulling out a charcoal gray uniform.

"It's a uniform. A Star Fox uniform." said Fox, trying to maintain composure. "I had hoped maybe you'd join us."

"I have my own mercenary group." lied Wolf. Star Wolf had long since disbanded and he knew it would likely never reform.

Fox reached out and took Wolf's hand. "Look, I enjoyed getting to know you. I enjoyed your company. I still do. Just promise you'll stay in touch. It's been nice to have someone I can connect to."

"You're adorable." mocked Wolf.

Fox released his hand, but Wolf grabbed his in return. He saw something in Fox he hadn't seen in anyone else. There was sincerity in his face and he had seen that look in him time and time again. He knew it to be genuine. Wolf sighed.

"You really do give a shit about me don't you?" Wolf noted.

Fox looked down at the table.

"I won't change for you." said Wolf, pointedly.

"I'm not asking you to." insisted Fox.

"I can be an asshole." said Wolf.

"I know." said Fox.

"I don't take orders well." said Wolf.

"I'm used to that. I've flown with Falco for years." said Fox.

Wolf chuckled a bit and looked at the uniform. "It's a good color. Muted. Not like the rest of your rainbow squad." mocked Wolf.

"I hope it fits." said Fox.

"I reserve the right to only wear this when absolutely necessary." said Wolf.

Fox nodded. "So what are you saying?" he said with hope.

"I'm saying uniforms aren't really my thing, but I'll wear it if we have some important function and we have to look presentable." noted Wolf plainly. "And I'm saying I'm sorry. You don't meet many genuine people when you spend much of your life among pirates. You're a refreshing change from what I'm used to."

"So you'll join Star Fox?" asked Fox.

"Can we change the name?" asked Wolf.

"Rather attached to it. Legacy and all." said Fox.

"Screw legacies." sneered Wolf. He thought for a moment. "Of all the legacies, I guess the McCloud legacy isn't so bad." he conceded, arms crossed.

Fox smiled as his spirits lifted. Star Fox would certainly be different with Wolf around and Fox was excited at the prospect. "Here's to the future!" said Fox, lifting up a mug of coffee.

Wolf sighed at the cheesy gesture but then reached into his vest, pulled out a flask and opened it. "Here's to Star Fox!" he said with a grin.

"To Star Fox!" Fox agreed.


	7. Epilogue - We'll Make this Work

LEGACY: EPILOGUE

A Star Fox Fan Fiction

Written by Frostclaw

 _Love someone  
not because he gives you what you need.  
Love him  
because he gives you the things  
you thought you never needed._

Peppy walked up to the lone grave marker. It was simple yet well kept. A frequently visited grave but one without a body. It stood as a marker for the late James McCloud. It was a reminder of Peppy's old friend. He had visited more frequently in his old age. Not only James' grave, but also the graves of General Pepper and Peppy's late wife Vivian. Still, it had felt like ages since he had talked to his old friend.

He looked down at the grave marker and sighed.

"Looks like the kids are alright, James." he stated. "Yer boy's doin' fine. He's grown up to be a lot like you. Still has his mother's heart. He insists he's followin' in your footsteps – but I think he's now far beyond the path you lead. He's making his own way. It may have been the direction you had planned to take yourself but now it's his alone. You'd be very happy with how he turned out."

Peppy thought for a moment. "He's not alone either. The rest of his team have all proven themselves. Beltino's son, Slippy, has proven to be a real genius. A bit excitable but otherwise probably the brightest engineer I've known. Falco has come a long way too from last time I told you about him. He was looking to leave Star Fox for a bit but he recently decided to help Fox a little longer to give him a chance to recover from the Venom incident. Nothing too bad, mind you. Just too a blast to the side. He prevented a war and survived in the woods for a week with that injury. Spent a couple days in the hospital when he got home. Mostly being treated for dehydration. Wolf never left his side the whole time. Often found him sleeping in the chair while Fox recuperated."

Peppy paused and thought some more. "I guess I should tell you about O'Donnell," continued Peppy, looking up at the sky, "You remember him? The young cadet you were mentoring. The one that got charged with treason. You never stopped believing he was innocent even when I had my doubts. Then you tried to bring him back to Corneria when he fled. You felt responsible for him, but he wouldn't listen. Stubborn kid. Well, I'm happy to say he was cleared of the charge and has tried to turn his life around. He's had a rough go of it, but Fox was able to reach out to him. His mother's heart, I tell ya. The two have been close ever since they got back from Venom. From the way the two have been carrying on of late, I suspect the relationship is still quite complicated. I think you'd be happy to see O'Donnell accepted into Star Fox though. You were a firm believer in finding the good in people and I think we both know that boy always had some good in him – just had a rough lot in life."

"Got them a new ship. I think the army owed them that much. It's a dreadnaught class starship like the original Great Fox and I suspect they'll like it. Dug it out of mothballs. Needs some work but it should be space worthy soon enough."

Peppy looked up at the sky and squinted. It was a bright, sunny day on Corneria.

"I wish you were here, old friend. But I guess in a way you'll always be nearby."

#

Fox and Krystal sat at a table in Fox's favorite cafe, overlooking Corneria. The view was stunning. Krystal looked beautiful and more relaxed than she had been for as long as Fox could remember. Fox was in good spirits as well. Falco had agreed to stay with Star Fox for a little while longer as did Slippy and with Wolf on the team Fox's fears of being alone had melted away. He sat drinking an iced coffee in the noon hour heat while Krystal enjoyed an iced tea.

"I wanted to tell you in person," said Krystal, "I'm leaving again."

Fox nodded. He had expected as much when he was asked to meet with her.

"I'm not going far. Panther and I have decided to take a break for a while. No starfighters. No Star Fox. No Star Wolf."

Fox had hoped that he might be able to convince Krystal and Panther both to join Star Fox, but he understood why they might want a break.

"I'm surprised," said Fox, "that you convinced Panther to hang up his hat."

"It didn't take much convincing." admitted Krystal, "We've decided to pursue our relationship and see where it goes. I know that deep down he wants to settle and open his own cafe or bistro. Part of the benefits of being a telepath. I try not to pry, but sometimes I can't help it."

They looked at each other briefly. Fox took a sip of his drink.

"Fox," said Krystal, "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."

"Me too." admitted Fox.

"I'm happy for you and Wolf though. I know you how much you care about him."

Fox choked on his drink and in the process inhaled a piece of ice. A few uncomfortable gags later and he brought it up. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Krystal.

"Telepathy." she said simply.

Fox frowned. "I haven't told anyone."

"Have you told Wolf?" she asked.

Fox looked away.

"Oh, Fox, I thought you told him." said Krystal, "I know he has strong feelings for you."

Fox's eyes widened and he looked at Krystal.

"Telepathy." she said. "I try not to, but strong emotions are hard to ignore."

Fox played with the straw in his coffee for a bit.

"I have never met anyone like him," admitted Fox, "and I never thought I'd fall for him either. I didn't know he felt the same way."

"You have a lot in common," said Krystal, "and you've been through a lot together in such a short time. Frankly I'm surprised you didn't realize he felt the same way about you. The guy reads like a book sometimes. The less he says, the easier it is to read him – even without telepathy."

Fox still fussed nervously with his drink.

"I thought you two were going to air your feelings when you gave him that Star Fox uniform." thought Krystal. "Look, you need to tell him how you feel."

"I don't know if I can do it." noted Fox, "I mean, we've been enemies for so long. What would the rest of the team think?"

"Oh good grief, Fox," exclaimed Krystal, "the team just wants you to be happy!"

Fox finished the rest of his drink. He was glad he had chosen something cold. He was getting a little warm under the collar.

"Just promise me," said Krystal, "promise me you'll talk to him."

"You really think he has feelings for me?" asked Fox. He could feel his heart racing a bit.

Krystal tipped her head and pointed to her temple. "Yeah, I do." she said.

#

Falco looked over his Sky Claw Arwing. "Aw, geeze. Baby's a mess." he stated, staring at the various scorch marks.

"They're all a mess." replied Slippy, popping his head out from behind the engine of his own Bullfrog Arwing.

The two had been loading the team's Arwings into one of the Cornerian hangars. They had rented the space to store their starfighters until they could acquire a replacement for the Great Fox - if they ever found one at all. The Arwings had all taken a beating from the battle on Venom. Not a single one had gone undamaged. Slippy and Falco's Arwings in particular were looking worse for wear and would require some significant work and funds to repair.

"I hope the Cornerian Army foots the bill for some of this." said Falco with a sigh.

"Peppy said he was looking into it." noted Slippy, "We did stop a war and it was technically while under Peppy's command."

Slippy resumed tinkering with his ship's engine.

Falco looked somewhat lost in thought.

"Slippy, are you sticking around?" asked Falco, "I mean, with Star Fox?"

Slippy stopped tinkering and wiped the oil off of his hands. "I'm going to spend more time with Amanda but I'm not looking to leave Star Fox yet." he said, "you?"

Falco sighed. "I was hoping to start my own team, but lately I've been thinking about sticking around for a little while longer." he said.

"Are you worried about Fox?" asked Slippy.

"A bit," noted Falco. "Going to stick around until I'm sure he's got his feet back under him. Plus..."

"Plus... what?" asked Slippy.

"Wolf." said Falco with a bit of annoyance.

"What about Wolf?" asked Slippy. He knew the answer without needing to ask.

"I don't know why Fox invited him to be on the team," noted Falco, "and I don't trust him."

"Aw, he's not so bad." said Slippy, trying to downplay Falco's concerns.

"He's a pirate." noted Falco.

"Reformed pirate." corrected Slippy.

"He tried to kill us." Falco continued.

"And saved us more than once." said Slippy.

"He's a bad egg-" started Falco.

"- looking for a second chance." interrupted Slippy, now getting a bit annoyed.

Falco sighed. "So I'm the only one concerned about him?" he said.

"No, you're not the only one concerned. You're the only one determined not to give him a chance." said Slippy with an unusual degree of frustration.

Falco knew it wasn't worth debating Wolf's merits at length. Time would tell if Wolf was really determined to reform.

"We'll see. But I will keep an eye on him."

#

"So what do you think of this one?" said Panther, pointing at a ring at a Cornerian jewelery store.

Panther had taken Wolf with him to search for a gift for Krystal. He was in love with her and he wanted to make it clear. Wolf was hardly enjoying the shopping. Most of the employees at the various stores seemed to be concerned that he was moments from robbing the place.

"Wolf?" asked Panther.

"Huh?" replied Wolf, slightly distracted.

"This ring, what do you think?" asked Panther a second time, pointing at an elegant piece.

"It's nice." said Wolf with mild disinterest.

"You need to relax." said Panther.

"What?" replied Wolf, again distracted by the gaze of the occasional passer-by.

"People will get used to you being here." said Panther, "and besides, tall fellow like you with an eye patch and a scowl on his face would stand out even if he wasn't a former pirate."

Wolf sighed. Panther probably had a point and it was likely that he had been reading more into the stares of people on the street than he should have been.

"You going to buy a ring for Fox." asked Panther, glancing at Wolf from the corner of his eye.

Wolf scowled at him.

"I thought you were meeting him at the park later today." noted Panther with a wry grin. "Seems nice and romantic."

Wolf said nothing.

"You know Krystal is telepathic right?" said Panther.

"Damnit." said Wolf.

"But she hasn't told me a thing." laughed Panther. "You don't need to be a telepath to guess that there is something between you. I was honestly just hoping to get you riled up after I heard you joined Star Fox but this is better. You really do have a thing for him."

Wolf crossed his arms and felt his blood pressure rise. He felt more than a bit embarrassed. He did have feelings for Fox. He had never expected to, but during their time on Venom he had come to enjoy Fox's presence and found himself missing him while they were apart. Wolf was having a lot of difficulty processing the idea.

"I suspected you were not much of a ladies man." said Panther, "Listen, I don't mind. I have been pleased to see you turn a new leaf and you deserve to be happy."

"Do I?" lamented Wolf.

"Stop it." said Panther, "You have a second chance. Take it. Let him know how you feel."

"Ugh" sighed Wolf. He was never very good at expressing his feelings. He lead pirate armies. He had been a cut-throat mercenary. He was a warrior. He had no patience for feelings. "I mean, it's Fox." said Wolf, "Fox fricken' McCloud of all people. And he's almost ten years younger than me."

"He is not that much younger," noted Panther, "and a few years is not a big deal."

"I can't talk to him about it." continued Wolf, "I mean, I don't think he feels the same way. I might just end up making the whole think awkward."

"Possibly," said Panther as waved down an employee and gestured to the display case. "But how will you feel if you never ask?"

Wolf thought about it.

"Sometimes it is best to make the first move." said Panther, examining the ring closer. "But if there is something between you, the signs will be there. You just need to read them carefully."

"Maybe your right." said Wolf.

"Of course I am. I know matters of the heart." said Panther. "I'll take the ring." he said to the salesperson.

#

6 PM. That was when Fox had asked Wolf to meet. He sat on a bench at the park overlooking the lake. It was a nice view. Fox starting thinking about the past few months. He thought about his struggles and his future. He thought about his recent fears of being alone and the friends who had dropped everything to find him. He thought about Wolf. He had been thinking a lot about Wolf. He still wasn't sure entirely what his feelings for him were. It was an odd attraction. Different but similar to what he had once felt for Krystal. It left him filled with so many questions.

"You wanted to meet?" asked Wolf as he walked up the path.

Fox hadn't noticed him approach. He had been too lost in thought.

"Yeah." said Fox quietly.

"I said yes to joining your team," said Wolf, "I thought we were good with that."

Fox slid down the bench and gestured to the spot beside him. "Have a seat." he said somewhat nervously.

Wolf sat beside him and looked out at the lake. "What's this about, Fox?" he asked with a somewhat confrontational tone. Fox couldn't get a read on him. Wolf always made his attempts at having a heart-to-heart very difficult.

"We have a conversation we need to finish." said Fox, "I have some questions I wanted to ask."

" _'What are we?'_ is what you want to ask?" suggested Wolf.

It was a question Fox had already asked twice before but it was the question he needed a solid answer to. He nodded.

"I don't know." said Wolf. "We don't really know each other that well, do we?"

Fox looked away slightly. "No, I guess not," he said, "but..."

Fox reached over and grabbed Wolf's hand. He looked at him to gauge his reaction. Wolf looked down and then back up to Fox with an expression of uncertainty written across his face. Fox went to pull his hand away but Wolf simply turned his around and clasped Fox's.

Fox paused and then continued his train of thought. "I enjoy my time with you. I miss you when you're not here. I don't know what that means."

"I don't either," said Wolf, "but I understand. I feel the same way."

"So what are we?" asked Fox again.

"We're two people figuring things out one step at a time." noted Wolf. "We're two people who have come to care about each other far more than they had ever expected. More than they each care to admit out loud."

Fox said nothing. He looked at his feet. He felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest and he could have sworn there was a mild ringing in his ears. He felt Wolf lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

"Hey, we'll figure this out." whispered Wolf. "In the mean time, I'm not going anywhere."

Fox leaned into Wolf and exhaled. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted from him. Wolf let go of Fox's hand and put his arm over Fox's shoulder and pulled him in closer.

"This," said Wolf, "I could get used to."

"So, I don't have to worry about you trying to shoot down my Arwing anymore?" asked Fox with a grin.

"I was wondering if that's all this was – you trying to keep me from shooting down your ship." said Wolf with a warm laugh. "No." he continued, "No more dogfights, you and I. I guess we're on the same team now."

"So, do we tell anyone?" asked Fox.

Wolf paused.

"'Cause Krystal knows..." Fox continued with a bit of a groan.

Wolf exhaled. "Yeah, Panther knows too." he admitted. "The rest can figure it out on their own. There's no sense in throwing this on top of everything else that's happened lately. Let's just figure the you and me thing out first."

"What if this doesn't work?" Fox asked with a worried tone.

"Then we're just friends." said Wolf. "Just two friends on the same team. I'd be happy even if that was all that came of this."

"Yeah, I guess that's fine." said Fox.

"Now, I'm not saying I want to just be friends." said Wolf.

"Me neither." admitted Fox with a smile.

"So this is going to work, right?" asked Fox, looking at Wolf's face.

Wolf paused and smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I like this. This can work. We'll make this work."

The two sat silently looking at the lake simply enjoying each others company.

Wolf was the first to break the silence. "This feels so strange."

"We'll make it work" said Fox, relaxed to the point he could have nodded off.

"Yeah, we will." echoed Wolf. "We'll make this work."


End file.
